Battle on Two Fronts:The Second World War in Gallia
by Johnnieboy11
Summary: March 1935, the Germans and Imperials invade Gallia. What follows shows that a tiny nation could best 2 military giants. These events will tell a story hidden in the mists of time. A story of friendship and trust, of persecution and hate, and of love blooming even in the Flames of War. What follows is a record of this conflict and of those who fought, lived and died.-Alex
1. Information about the World

_**AN:So, a new story popped to mind since I started playing the VC mod for Hearts of Iron(Still in alpha, but awesome eitherway :D)**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

 ** _The Two Fronts:The Second World War in Gallia_**

 _ **History of the World:**_

Long ago, within the confines of the European continent, tribes and nations began to ascend out of the dust. Hundreds of small city kingdoms began to arise, joining up later to form alliances, states and, later, countries and Empires. Our story begins, however, much earlier than that. 3000 years ago, within the small confines of a nation that would today come to be known as the Principality of Gallia, the Darcsen, a species of people characterized by their oily, dark-blue hair and eyes, as well as by the pieces of clothing they wear to this day, took over, enslaving the peoples of Northern Europe and taking their food away. Through the cries of starvation, where hundreds died, the Darcsen are said to have ruled over Europe, then Europa, with an Iron Fist...

Alas, things would not last for long, as the Darcsens came to be confronted by beings from farther north than even they thought possible. Beings of immense power, beautiful women clad in a cobalt flame, came to the continent, descending upon it as if they themselves were gods. And, as legend says, 'With spear and shield clad in blue flame, the Valkyria pierced the Darcsens' heart, once more freeing the people of Europa from the hostile grip'. Within these events, the Darcsen unleashed a catastrophe that turned a part of Europe's territory, not much though, into a land of ice and dust. That place came to be known as the Barious Desert, a former great city of the Valkyrur. From then on, the Darcsen came under disgrace wherever in Europe they went... In that age of ancient Empires, when slave labor was a commodity.

Skip ahead a few thousand years, during the end of the medieval times and the start of the Renaissance, when Gunpowder made of Ragnite was first discovered and war took on a terrifying new twist from mere shield and sword, to that of long range engagements. From then on to 200 years forward, during the ages of exploration and bloody wars, the world took a turn. In the year 1765, upon being fed up, for lack of a better term, with the taxes imposed upon them by the British Empire, the people, colonists of a newly-discovered territory in the West now known as the Americas, begin a revolution, which would last for nearly 20 years, a victory for the American people, which, out of their 13 colonies would later form the United States of America.

Within the coming century, with the French Revolution, the defeat of Napoleon's imperialistic dreams and the Industrial Revolution of Ragnite, more wars appeared. The East Autocratic Imperial Alliance, simply known today as the East Empire, was formed from Russia, its Asian allies and a few east-European countries forced into the hell. The Empire fought Turkey for control of a small Kingdom, that of Wallachia, and its surrounding fellow Romanian principalities. In the North, it faced the Imperialistic ambitions of the Swedish Empire, which had under its control, land above the former Polish Commonwealth, also Imperial Territory.

Resistance finally arose after a hundred years of rule, within the nations of Latvia, Estonia and the upper half of former Poland and a new nation proclaimed its freedom. The Principality of Gallia began a war for independence from the Empire, in which the Romanians and Polish soon followed. Warsaw, Bucharest and Randgriz, the three new capitals of the reborn nations, became a beacon of hope and their victory was certain... And thus, a buffer between the Empire and the rest of Europe was created.

Skip to the year 1914. Hostilities erupt after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Serbia by Gavrilo Princip. The three nations that barely formed a hundred years ago yet again see themselves threatened by the Empires... With Romania's hopes of regaining the lost territory of Ardeal and Transylvania, that which was owned by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Romanians join the war, siding with the Entente. The Polish and Gallians followed suite as the Empire in the East moved many troops to their borders. The nations yet again stood to defend themselves... But a pleasant surprise came in the form of the Empress of the time sending her troops to assist the Entente in their struggles against the Ottomans, Kaiser Reich and Austro-Hungarian Empire.

In the year 1918, victory at last... The Great War, the First World War ends with the victory of the Entente over the three Empires, the Treaty of Versailles is signed, new nations like Finland are born and Democracy starts taking its place in Europe. Monarchies like Gallia, Poland and Romania remain safe and the East Empire is unaffected by the changes. Ten years later, the 98th Emperor and Empress are crowned in the East, at Moscow and the world watches as their rearmament gets started, ignoring the threat under their noses. A man has risen to power in Germany, one of great horrors to come... Adolph Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany and proceeds to rearm the nation.

 _The year is 1935. As the sun rises over the East European Empire, its armies stand at the borders of Gallia and its allies... New members join the alliance between Romania, Gallia and Poland and prepare for war... The Empire formally sends its ultimatum to Gallia and the German Reich prepares its troops in the West, to invade the small nations with the full might of its Axis of Power..._

 _And, yet again, the World stands at the brink of a deadly conflict..._

 ** _Lore of the World:_**

Darcsen-A people hated for their mistakes of old and for the so-called Darscen Calamity. They've been stripped of the rights to bear family names and have been forced into labor camps, working as nothing more than Ragnite miners, where many die by the hundreds daily. Their defining qualities are the dark blue hair and eyes, most probably from working with Ragnite, as well as the shoals and different clothing pieces that have their patterns on them.

Ragnite-The most precious mineral in the world. It and oil are sought-after most in this world and Gallia has plenty of both, making it a prime target for enemies wishing to boost their supplies.

Valkyria-Beings of ultimate power. They're the so-called Saviors of Europa and have the second most popular religion in Europe currently. Yggdism. The women are described as clad in blue flame, with crimson red eyes and long, beautiful silver hair.

Faunus-A legendary species, of which very few still live to this day in isolated communities across Europe and, in America, freely. Their population in the entire world adds up to one million and is steadily decreasing. The Faunus are known for their animal traits, including enhanced Night-time vision and animal tails and ears. Most prominent features are:Fox Tails and Ears, Cat Tails and Ears, Wolf Tails and Ears. Hair colors are odd as well, ranging from dark-red to pure white. Eyes can vary from blue to even Yellow and Purple.

 _ **The Nations belligerent to the War within Gallia's territory:**_

 _ **The Head Members of the Anti-Imperial Eastern Alliance of Nations(AIEAN)** :_

 _The Principality of Gallia -The first founding member of the Alliance. Their vast stores of Ragnite and Oil, as well as the processing facilities for said materials make them prime targets for the Imperials and Germans alike. They are a constitutional monarchy which holds bi-yearly elections for their government and Parliament. They are also used to being targeted by major nations and so have a strict policy of training since youth. From first grade onward, the people of the nation are trained in use of all weapons and military vehicles available to the nation, so they can be formed into a Militia regiment immediately after graduation if the nation is under siege._

 _Current Ruler:Princess Cordelia(Yet to be crowned to Archduchess), Prime Minister Maurits von Borg(Regent until Cordelia's coronation)_

 _Money:Ducat_

 _Population:24 million, of which 85% are recruitable._

 _Capital:Randgriz_

 _Situated in and currently owning the territories:Latvia, Estonia and upper half of Poland. Border with the Polish is at Bialystok, now known as Kiras._

 _The Kingdom of Poland_ _-Second founding member of the Alliance. They share borders with the Principality of Gallia and thus trade between the two nations is an easy one. Similar ruling system to Gallia, but they have a permanent army of 500.000 men and women. They stand as the main military force in the Alliance and have provided Gallia with nearly 3 divisions' worth of soldiers to fight alongside them, until they can secure their own fronts._

 _Current Ruler-King Ignacy Mościcki(About to retire), Princess(Soon to be crowned queen) Agniezska_ _Mościcki, his daughter._

 _Money:Zloty_

 _Population:34 Million, of which 80% recruitable._

 _Capital:Warsaw_

 _Greater Kingdom of_ _Romania -The third founding member of the Alliance. Formed in 1915 after acquiring their territories from the Ottomans and Austro-Hungarians, this nation is currently the main Ragnite Refiner of the alliance, with the Ploiesti Ragnite Fields making it a prime target for enemy occupation Same ruling system as Gallia. Currently housing an army of 85.000 with some hundreds of thousands more in training._

 _Current Ruler-King Carol the Second of the Hohenzhollern-Zigmaringen house._

 _Money:Leu_

 _Population:33 Million, of which 77% Recruitable._

 _Capital:Bucharest_

 _Other_ _Members :Republic of Yugoslavia, The Czechoslovakian Democratic Union, the Kingdom of Sweden and the Republic of Finland_

 ** _The Eastern Imperial Alliance_** ** _-_** _The massive nation in the far east, that controls territories such as Russia, Ukraine and most of the lower continents, including what was formerly Ottoman Empire territory. They expanded out from Europe into Asia and are currently controlling half the continent, through vassals or conquered states that chose to serve them. The only real power that opposes them is in Europe. They have just gotten out of a war with the Japanese over a province in former China, by forcing the Japanese army into surrender._

 _Current Ruler-The Imperial Royal Family_

 _Money:Imperial Rubles_

 _Capital:Moscow_

 _Population:298 Million, of which 80% are recruitable._

 _Territory list :_

 _-Russia(Core province)_

 _-Ukraine_

 _-Georgia_

 _-Armenia_

 _-Azerbaijan_

 _-Turkey_

 _-Syria_

 _-Iraq_

 _-Iran_

 _-Jordan_

 _-China_

 _-Kazakhstan_

 _-Mongolia_

 _-Vietnam_

 _-United Korea_

 ** _The Third_** ** _Reich -_** _Aiming to expand their territory and regain that which they've lost at the end of the Great War, the German Reich has found new leadership in the National Socialist Workers' Party, the Nazis for short. The German rearmament is going as planned, currently, by the country's leader's orders. Currently entrenched, the Germans invaded Africa and are prepping their troops to attack the Polish and Gallians, as well as the Czech and Slovak nations._

 _Current Ruler-Chancellor Adolph Hitler_

 _Money:Reichsmarks_

 _Capital:Berlin_

 _ **The Allies**_ _-The French, British and their colonial possessions, who wish to maintain a friendly demeanor to the AIEAN countries, continuing trade with them daily. Have joined the war upon the guarantees of freedom for Gallia, Poland and Romania and much later Finland and Sweden. The Allies have also mobilized to aid a small nation down south, near Romania and Yugoslavia, known as the Duchy of Eylstadt, whom desired to remain neutral in the conflict. Currently trying to persuade the Americans to join the battle._

 ** _The Axis_** _-Hitler's allies, Japan, Hungary and Italy._

 ** _Classes(Based on all classes from all games):_**

 _Scouts -The mainstay units of the Military, scouts combine riflemen with fast and agile infantry units designed to scout out enemy positions. Alone, these soldiers are under-armored, but together and in large numbers, they can overtake an enemy position with ease due to their mobility and carry-on weapons. It is the most common class of all, with easy training and normal requirements._

 _Shock Troopers -Deadly and fast. These soldiers usually come up behind the scouts due to the medium armor sets they wear and the SMGs they carry. They've been adapted to fight from the First World War and have multiple derivative classes stemming from them, requiring people able to carry two grenades and SMGs. They mop up the remaining enemies and destroy the emplacements._

 _Lancers -The AT units of the world, these soldiers carry lances that fire Anti-Tank shells from close range. They also wear the bulkiest armor sets out of all the classes, able to withstand even mines going off under them. They usually carry heavy AT Lances and can even be converted to mobile Mortar units, to easily clear enemy emplacements. They've seen a spur of development since the First World War and the mechanization of the world's military, with heavy focus on tanks._

 _Snipers- The Long-range soldiers that specialize in distance take-downs and elimination of enemy High-Value Targets. They are designed to stay behind the front lines, due to them wearing no armor whatsoever. Their High-powered rifles can also be switched out for AT Rifles to eliminate enemy light armored vehicles and IFVs, though against Tanks, not much can be done._

 _Gunners and Heavy Gunners_ _-Derivative of Shock Troopers. These soldiers carry much heavier armor and Light Machine Guns designed to suppress the enemy and cause major damage to charging infantry lines._

 _Fencers and Maulers_ _-Melee Combat Classes with incredibly heavy armor, designed to withstand the most punishment that can be sent out, even surviving tank shots at times. The Maulers carry a shield and hammer, while the Fencers carry heavy swords into combat. The Maulers may take out enemy tanks with some upgraded hammers and the Fencers will kill any infantry that gets close to them._

 _Engineers_ _-Those who deal with the resupply of the Infantry and units, as well as dismantling or building fortifications, placing or disarming mines and the healing of the squad when the Combat Medics are not around. They carry the rifles that Scouts carry, but hey have extra Ragnaid as well as Grenades for the demolition jobs, whilst also carrying a box of tools and one of ammo, rendering them less mobile than the Scouts._

 ** _The People of the World(Non-Canon)_**

 ** _Principality of Gallia and the Alliance:_**

 _Prince Alexander of Romania_ _-the youngest of the three of King Carol. Currently hidden away in Gallia. Age 17. He fights in the Gallian Volunteer Corps alongside a few other friends of his, but many do not know he's actually the Prince of one of the three nations. The young boy sees himself as nothing more than a threat to his friends at times, due to the secret he's keeping, so he's sometimes very distant._

 _Shiina Mashiro -Alexander's closest friend since childhood, having met him in Romania at the age of 6, the two wound up writing to each-other every day. She is a girl born in the now-hostile nation of Japan, on the isle of Okinawa, under strict parents and the only one who knows Alexander's true Identity. She attended art classes in England before being sent to Gallia's Randgriz University to study, where she met Alexander again. Age 15. She would stay by Alexander's side throughout a lot of tough situations and the two have come to terms with joining the Gallian Militia early on._

 _The Sakura-sou Squad -A rugged band of misfits which Alexander and Mashiro lead through combat. Their group is a small one, formed of about 8 people, most of which are from Japan. Alexander has made quite a few friends in the island nation and has seen to keeping them close throughout it. They are with the undercover Prince and Shiina within Fort Amaranthine, awaiting their turn to battle the Imperials._

 _The Siegfried Royal Family -Those who wish to see Gallia reborn from the ashes and reformed into a grand nation. They are very close friends to the Randgriz family itself and uphold beliefs of equality among the people, Darcsen or not. They fought through to keep the Alliance together since the election of Prime Minister Borg, who wanted Gallia to be Neutral, isolated from the rest of the world. They are the only reason that Gallia remains within the AIEAN. Their son, Matthew Siegfried is currently serving in the Gallian Militia, while their daughter, Kimberly Siegfried, is in Randgriz Castle, a Royal Guard and a close friend of Princess Cordelia. Matt is not without his friends Ragna, Kai, Axel and David, all of them currently waiting assignment to a squad within Amaranthine._

 _Jacqueline Ross AKA "Jackie"_ _-The youthful American journalist within Gallia, here for the big scoop. She has a friend near by going by the name of Irene Ellet. Age 23_

 _Simo Hayha, "The White Death"_ _-The legendary Finnish Sniper that helped defeat the Imperial invasion of his homeland in early 1934. Has joined the Gallian Army alongside a Volunteer Division formed of Finnish and Swedish troops. Yet to be seen by the people of Gallia in actual combat, the soldier and the Volunteer unit act as ghosts on the Front Lines, disappearing and reappearing as the battles continue. Has achieved a whopping 754 CONFIRMED kills in the Imperial-Finnish war, within 100 days. 500 kills with the sniper, 254 with his trusty Suomi SMG. Age 24._

 _Kolkka Aatamina Hayha, "The Snow Fairy"_ _-Simo's younger sister and a skilled huntress just like him. Although she has less kills than her brother, she is still considered a solid threat to the Imperial Army and is currently serving in the Militia in a temporary unit. Has befriended Prince Alexander a while ago, as well as Shiina and the rest of the Sakura-sou squad, instantly becoming part of the so called 'Misfit Brigade', with flying colors. Scored 337 kills with her rifle alone. 100 more unconfirmed. Age 20._

 ** _The Imperial Royal Family:_**

 ** _AN:Over here, I chose to go with the Camelot family_**

 _Emperor Uther Pendragon, the 'Blood Hound'_ _-Crowned emperor, the man has seen combat on the Front lines of the First World War, leading an entire army into battle. He's ruthless, powerful and steadfast to his beliefs, never ceasing to fight for the whoel world to be united under the Imperial banner. He has remarried after the death of his wife 19 years ago and currently, his new wife and stepdaughter have been welcomed into the family. (45 years old)_

 _Empress Hrist_ _Pendragon -The crowned Empress, a woman as mysterious as her name, which seems to link her to three Valkyrian Goddesses of old. She has no history to speak of and has proven herself as Ruthless as Uther. Beset upon conquering the world, she married Uther and has since been the Empress beside him. The two continue their crusade to see the world as their own. (Presumably 43, but looks like a 20-year-old)_

 _Prince Arthur Pendragon, the 'Iron Eagle'_ _-Crowned prince of the Empire, he has lead his branch of the Imperial Army, the Knights of the Round Table, in many victories against rebel forces across the Imperial Territory. Young, but experienced, he has won all engagements he fought in, same for the Imperial-Japanese war of 1932. Sees the Darcsen as equals, allowing many to serve in his unit. (24 years old)_

 _Princess Cinder Fall Pendragon, 'Evil Incarnate'_ _-Arthur's older step-sister and the daughter of Hrist, this girl has incredible powers at her side. She and her personal military, the Grimm Shadows, have seen combat across several theaters of war against Rebel forces within Asia, including the Remnant campaign within China, in 1930. She's as evil as they come and as ruthless to her enemies as her mother. (26 years old)_

 ** _The German Invasion Force:_**

 _Feldmarshal Erwin Rommel, The "Desert Fox"_ _-With his nickname, earned from the battles in Afrika, with his special army, the Afrika Corps, the man has been assigned to command the First Army of the German Invasion Force. Currently stationed with the Seventh Panzer Division as its head commander, the man has seen Combat in the First World War as a Colonel and soon came under Hitler's sights as a perfect soldier and commander for his men. He is stern, serious and calm in combat and very friendly outside of it. (Aged 47)_

 _Die Hexe Unterdivision 3_ _-The Witch Sub-division 3, a Squadron of females driving the most advanced German Tanks to date, the strange E-Series prototypes. Lead by Colonel Maho Nishizumi, the "Terror of Black Forest", a Japanese envoy and aide within Germany, these girls, alongside their very own specialized Panzer Grenadier Division "Die_ _Höllenmädchen", Hell's Girls, the Regiment leads the attack on the Gallian South-Western border. Their motto is "Nachtkampf ist eine Spezialität der Hexe" ,'Night Combat is the Specialty of a Witch'. This squadron contains the most Faunus soldiers known to date in Germany. Approximately 10.000 fight within the regiment._

 _Flight Commander Erika von Richthofen AKA Bayonetta, "The Umbra Witch"_ _-Commander of the Twelfth Luftwaffe Airfleet and, moreover, the commander of the Germans' best fighter unit, Umbra Squadron. Youthful daughter of Baron von Richthofen and good friends with Maho Nishizumi, she and her squadron usually fly night runs, covering the Hexe's advance into enemy territory. Proven in the service of the Afrika Korps. (Aged 26)_

 _Other numbers:The 35th Infantry Division, Waffen SS First Brigade, Sixty-third Mechanized Corps, Twelfth Luftwaffe Air Fleet and 666th SS Panzerdivision, "Die Schwarzenmarken" (The Black Marks)_

 ** _Effective of German Invasion Force:400,000 Men, 4,000 Armored Vehicles and Tanks, 1,000 Aircraft including Stuka Dive Bombers and Fighters. 5,000 Support Vehicles(Trucks, Cars, Trains)_**

 ** _CURRENT DATE:12TH OF MARCH, 1935 AD/EC_**

 ** _STATUS OF WORLD:PREPARING FOR WAR_**

 ** _To Note about this version of the world:The entire world has the weapons and gear they had near late 1944 to early 1945, including Tigers and Panthers for the Germans, so expect to see heavy Panzers as well as experimental stuff from the Germans._**

* * *

 ** _Will add characters as the story progresses. Anyways, ONWARD._**


	2. Prologue:Bruhl Part 1

_"The Declaration of War from the Empire had come sooner than expected and the Imps had already taken Ghirlandaio within the week... We were up Early, travelling toward Bruhl to help Welkin get his sister to Randgriz. It was a long road after all, but we got to Bruhl awfully early. Sun was still shining and the birds were chirping._

 _Me and the Sakura-sou Squad found ourselves pretty much escorting the boy, with our rifles hanging by our backs and all, clad in GVC Uniforms. Even though I just dropped out of Randgriz Uni for it..._

 _The squad had honestly gotten pretty big and all, what with Simo, Kolkka and Matt joining us on the way there. We were given access to a Gallian Halftrack to transport our luggage and gear with, so that saved us the trouble of hauling heavy bags of ammo into the town ourselves. Of course, our School Bags were there as well, because screw carrying bags with books over weapons... There was a war on after all. Alas, what we were about to be greeted with in Bruhl was not a particularly good thing, but it'd give us the first taste of combat in a while... We'd been fighting in border skirmishes on my free weekends, both against the Krauts and against the Imps, so that gave me and the Sakura-sou guys some experience in the matter..._

 _The fact of the matter was, we were in deep trouble before we even joined the Militia, so stand fast everyone. This story is not for the faint of heart."_

 _-Prince Alexander of Hohenzhollern-Zigmaringen, in his memoirs of the Gallian-Imperial-German War-_

* * *

 ** _Bruhl. 20th of March 1935._**

How long had it been since he went down this path? Five, six years? Welkin couldn't recall. He knew he'd been around Randgriz finishing up University for so long it made him think he wouldn't recognize home. He was mistaken, though. The dirt road that led to Bruhl had remained nearly unchanged. Same beaten path with no vegetation, the hills of green and the occasional Windmill here and there. It was all just a perfect reminder of _home._ Beside them, a blue creek with water running made the soothing sounds that kept the squad relaxed for most of the road. The boy inhaled and the fresh air of the countryside filled his lungs, before he exhaled again and looked back with a smile.

Matthew Siegfried, the son of House Siegfried, friends of Princess Cordelia herself, as well as her late parents, walked with him, a Gallian-2 slung over his shoulder and two clips of ammo in the pockets of his black coat. The boy ran a hand through his black hair, arranging some of the spiky, more rebel bits of it back into place, before they instantly plopped back up, making the boy sigh. His azure eyes scanned the horizon, thanks to his enhanced training keeping him on his toes. The boy'd joined the travelling band of warriors and the son of the famous General Gunther before Alexander and Sakura-sou squad came to pick them up.

"I see Matthew is still as careful as ever." Commented a calm voice from the back, making Welkin look to the man. A soldier clad in a Gallian Volunteer Corps uniform with the Finnish flag on his shoulder, Simo Hayha, known among many as the White Death, or the Imp Hunter, walked beside his sister, who was a forehead below him. The two looked like twins, both with white hair and bright aquamarine eyes. Whilst Simo was the more calm of the two, Kolkka couldn't help but be excited. She'd heard about Isara from Welkin a while ago, when she and Simo first got their permission from the Border Skirmishes.

"Have to be, Simo." Matt replied swiftly, keeping his eyes peeled. "The Imps are said to have advanced pretty fast from Ghirlandaio, what with Damon's retreat and everything. Could be near us as we speak."

"Or you're just paranoid, Matt." Said a voice from beside the halftrack. Glasses on his nose, brown eyes staring at the side of the vehicle and with an SMG strapped to his back, Mitaka Jin, the playboy of the squad walked safely close to the military vehicle. From aboard the vehicle, the silver-haired boy felt a tap on the top of his head and looked up, to be greeted by the face and chest of his childhood friend, the ginger-haired Misaki Kamiigusa. The girl smirked and said "Nah. Matty's fine. Though I'd be glad if there were no incidents durin' the trip."

"That may be hard, considering Siegfried's continuous streak of premonitions. Remember? Ragna said the same thing back in Randgriz Uni." Answered the voice of the Halftrack's driver. Ryuunosuke sighed, his dark-blue eyes peering down the road. The street was actually pretty lively, apparently, as the crew found themselves in the need to reposition and go off to the side, right in front of the Halftrack, as Civilian Trucks moved fast to get out of the village, with civilians close beside them.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just drop the subject." Matt said, sighing as he looked about. He then looked ahead, to Welkin... To see him by the river, writing in his little notebook. The boy sighed, rolled his eyes, then chuckled and ran ahead, showing everyone to go on. Simo and Kolklka followed him, weapons slung on their backs, then knelt beside Welkin. Simo said "Come on, Gunther. We ain't got the time for you to be drawing..." He looked at the stream, to see three fish swimming up stream "The salmons..."

"He's right, Welkin." Matt said, patting him on the shoulder.

Simo's ear twitched as he looked back, arranging his blue Volunteer Corps coat on. He drew his Lahti L-35 Pistol from his hip, aimed it toward some bushes in the middle of the road, then yelled "Come out of hiding!" Making everyone stop and draw their weapons. Three people, a girl and two kids, emerged from the cover of the bushes. The woman had brown hair and chestnut eyes. She lowered her weapon, then sighed in relief and showed them her uniform. Bright blue with stripes and a Bruhl insignia on her chest. A Gallian Town Watchman uniform... The kids should've given it away with their helmets.

Simo lowered his pistol, then said "Sneaking around there, miss?" with a hint of smugness, holstering the gun. "Almost had us thinking you were an Imperial spy."

"Sorry about that, Corporal." The girl said, smiling. "Didn't see your uniforms there for a second and thought the same thing." And she pointed to Welkin "Who is he?"

"Him?" Matt asked, pointing at Welkin, who just now stood up. He smiled, then said "This is Welkin Gunther, son of General Belgen Gunther..." And he looked back at the stream, with a smirk "And a big nature freak." To which the girl gasped, looking at Welkin. He waved to her, then said "Hello." calmly. She waved to him, then nodded and looked to the Halftrack, on which Jin and Misaki rested, binoculars out, and asked "Are they okay?"

"Must've heard something." Kolkka said, walking toward them and drawing her Springfield 1903 rifle. She pulled the bolt back, loaded a stripper clip into the rifle and set the bolt back in. Alicia walked toward Matt and Welkin, then looked to Matt and the realization hit her like a train, making her stagger back in shock. "Y-You... You are..."

"Matt Siegfried, at your service." The boy mockingly saluted.

"The son of Belgen Gunther and the heir to the Siegfried Family's legacy..." One of the two boys in the back said. The other one smirked and they high-fived, holding the old Gallian-1s by their hips and pointed at the ground. Matt nodded to them, then said "Defending Gallia proudly, I see, boys!" happily, making both of them salute crisply. He chuckled, saluted back and looked to the stunned Alicia, whose facial expression was screaming 'Pure shock'. He snapped his fingers, making the girl with ponytails and a strange red cap shake her head, then sigh. "This is too much..." She said, then looked to the two of them "What brings you two and your entourage into Bruhl anyway? We aren't a big town and nothing major usually comes out of this place... Well, except for some people."

"We're here to take my sister to Randgriz." Welkin answered her. Alicia's brow raised at another realization. "So... The Darcsen girl living in the mansion at the far east of town is... Wha?"

"Yep. Isara's his stepsister." Matt said, looking about, worried again. Alicia nodded, then said "Okay then... I'll talk to the commander of the Bruhl Town Watch via radio and explain to him the situation. We can provide escort, or at least a few extra hands aboard the Halftrack." happily volunteering herself and her two subordinates to help. She extended her hand toward Welkin and said "I'm Captain Alicia Melchiott, Bruhl town watch."

Welkin shook her hand, then said "I'm Welkin Gunther. Pleasure to meet you, Captain Melchiott."

Before things could get any more sappy, the group heard gunfire echo through the hills around Bruhl, making everyone fall to their stomachs and take cover. Simo and Kolkka moved toward the bushes, aimed their rifles and fired back. The gunshots came from atop the hill, a thing to which Alicia immediately turned around, only to spot soldiers clad in steel plate armors moving down toward them and firing away. Four soldiers moving out in the open field... Not a smart idea... Alas, they were Imperial soldiers...

Alicia immediately saw one's helmet flung clean off by a bullet and looked to the two in the bushes. Simo and Kolkka... The two fired with such precision it scared the young girl. She stood up, aimed her rifle and fired too, toward one of the ones running for cover. Bullets hit at his feet, tearing grass and dirt out, but missing him narrowly. He hit the brakes, turned his rifle around and scoped Alicia in... Before the staccato sound of a mounted Machine Gun cried its guttural roar. The Imperial soldier fell, gunned down as bullet after bullet hit him, tearing him apart. The girl's eyes widened as she looked at a young man, with jet-black hair and yellow eyes, manning a Gallian Maxim MG mounted on the back of the halftrack. Beside him, a girl with blonde hair and tangerine eyes stood up, firing away from her Gallian-2 Rifle. The girl was of Asian heritage, as well as the other two who dropped out of the Halftrack.

Simo's sniper barked again and a bullet tore through the third Imperial's neck, sending him into a flying spin. He fell with a thud and clank against the dirt and rolled down the hill, his body lifeless, his blood leaving a dotted trail on the grass as he spun. He scoped in the fourth one, who was running over the hill, glanced toward his sister, moving only his eyes, then said "All yours, Kol." calmly, to which the girl grinned, then Responded jovially "AYE, AYE!" And squeezed the trigger. The hit scored, the Imperial spun and blood spattered the ground ahead of him.

The golden-eyed boy looked up from the sights of the Maxim as its barrel was smoking from so many consecutive rounds being fired, scanned the surroundings and, finally, he yelled "AREA SECURE!" Before jumping out of the vehicle, Mags M1 drawn and looking around. The girl followed him, dropping out of the vehicle and walking behind him, keeping her eyes peeled, but her expression unchanged. That of simple seriousness. The boy looked to Welkin and Matt, who both were on the ground, with Matt holding his Colt 1911 Siegfried model drawn, and helped both boys up, dusting them off.

"Probably only a scouting party." Said the SMG-toting boy, cocking the weapon's feeding bolt back and adding a round into the chamber. He smirked, then said "Guess we're gonna be using our weapons after all."

Matt nodded, then said "Aye. Sure looks like it... Have Ryuu, Jin and Misaki unload the ammo bags and carrier rigs. We're gonna need all the ammo we can get if they sent a four-man scout team." He looked to the blonde-haired Japanese girl, then said "Mashiro, you and Alex go and help them." And, finally, he looked to Welkin as the two ran off to comply with the orders, then handed him a second 1911 by the barrel, extending the pistol's grip to him and finishing off with his classic smirk and adding "Keep yourself alive too, Welks. Can't have your brains blown out of your head here." To which Welkin responded with a nod and grabbing the pistol and cocking its top cover back, feeding a fresh round into the chamber.

Alicia ran to Matt and Welkin, returning from the side of the two kids in the Town Watch, then said "They're fine... And you lot are armed..."

"Travelling through a country at war without weapons is suicide." Matt smirked, nodding to Alicia "Good to know the two kids are fine. C'mon. You said something about a Town Watch Commander."

"Yeah." Alicia nodded, then pointed at the farthest hill to the North, where a house was situated "That house there. It serves as the Town Watch HQ, sir." And she raised her rifle and loaded a fresh clip in. "The Imperials came from the East side. That means they must already be near by your house, mister Gunther." She then said, pointing at the hill. Welkin nodded, then looked to Matt and said "How do we do this?"

The Siegfried boy smirked, then asked "How else, mate? We split our squad. Half of the Sakura-sou crew comes with us, other half escorts Captain Gallia and her Squadmates to the HQ and starts explaining the situation." He then turned around and walked to the Halftrack, where the squad was dropping out and started explaining the situation. Welkin smiled, sighed and said "Thank God he's around. We need a good strategist."

Alicia walked beside him, looking at the squad, then the final realization hit her like a hammer, looking at Simo and Kolkka. "You... You guys have the White Death and Snow Fairy with you?!" To which Welkin responded with a chuckle, then nodded and said "I'm friends with a whole lot of interesting people, I can say that much."

"I can tell..." Alicia murmured, then she smiled and looked to him "Well, you still need an escort to take you to your home, don't you?"

Welkin nodded, to which Alicia, holding her smile, answered "Okay then. That's my cue. Have the half that's going to the Town Watch HQ take the kids off our hands and explain the situation to the Commander." And she examined her rifle, then continued "I'll be behind you and the ones going with you to your mansion."

A droning noise emerged overhead and the squad immediately scrambled to man the turrets of the Halftrack as Air Raid sirens cried from the town. Four Maxim MGs, two at the front and back and two at the sides, aimed up as, from above, a squadron of enemy attack planes dived toward Bruhl. In the far distance, the town could be seen. The squad had been to distracted to notice it... The massive windmill spinning in the center continued to move, but the Imperial aircraft, Iliyushin IL-2 Attackers, dived toward the town. The olive drab tops and the blue, countershaded bellies appeared and the planes' massive wings had weapons peering out of them. Bomb bays opened on the attacking aircraft and their cannons and machine guns began to roar...

Blue explosions blossomed across Bruhl's buildings and machine gun fire punctured the streets, windows and walls of houses, everything being cut to shreds, as well as the few Civilians still inside, whom scrambled to run away. Alicia watched on, with horror... A dozen people were on the streets, gunned down by the enemy's heavy weaponry. 20mm Cannons and 7.92 MGs became a staccato symphony of death and the whistle of bombs sounded off as the last three fighter-bombers peeled away after dropping the payload... The explosions tore through the old mill in the middle of town, shattering it and sending its bricks flying everywhere. Bruhl was ablaze with fire...

The Maxim MGs opened fire as the Imperial planes flew overhead, cutting through the armor of the first two and destroying a third's fuel tank. Its engine began to sputter, but the planes just kept moving, ignoring the other ground targets they could just as easily have gunned down. What was that supposed to be? A message? Something the Imperials wanted to tell the people of Gallia? 'Surrender, or else be destroyed'... Whatever it was, it made Matt, Welkin and everyone else itching to pay the enemy back fully. Matt growled, then he looked to Welkin and yelled "I'LL BE TAKING KOLKKA, MISAKI, JIN AND RYUUNOSUKE TO GO TO THE TOWN WATCH HQ! WE'LL BE TAKING THE HALFTRACK!"

"Alright!" Welkin nodded, looking to Alicia. He nodded to her and she nodded back, still horrified, then waved the kids forward and said "Get to the halftrack, guys! Get out of here and back to HQ!" And she saw Simo, Alex, the girl by the name of Aoyama and Mashiro walk up to them, all of them with their weapons drawn. Simo nodded and said "We're right behind you, Gunther." Alex adding "You can count on us." With a smug grin and Mashiro finishing off with a nod and raising her Rifle. Welkin nodded, then said "Follow me, everyone... I know a shortcut."

The groups started moving, taking their separate roads. The Halftrack, with Matt's group, took a side road around town, to get there faster, while Welkin, Alicia and the others found themselves forced to go through town. Welkin, pistol drawn, waved Simo forward, with the man carrying his trusty modified Finnish Mosin Nagant taking cover by a wall in front of everyone. He knelt, steadied his rifle and scoped in the town square, where the remains of the Bruhl mill littered the streets... A squadron of Imperial Soldiers, formed of four scouts, three Shock Troopers and a Sniper, was patrolling the streets, followed by the Imperial T34 with the 76mm short-barreled cannon. The tank was painted an olive drab with Imperial Stripes on its side. The Ragnite radiators on its back, small slits through which the warm air escaped, shining blue, with electricity arcing off them and an incessant buzz, alongside the revved engine's thrum.

"We don't have the guns to take them out." Simo whispered to everyone. He waved them forward, then pointed at an alleyway and said "We could go around the houses, evade the enemy patrols..." And Welkin nodded "Good plan... Let's avoid unnecessary confrontations with the Imperials." And he then signaled everyone across to the Alleyway. They performed a leapfrog maneuver. Where one member went and the others covered, repeating this until only Welkin was left and the tank was awfully close to them. Thankfully, the enemy tank crew hadn't spotted them before they vanished into the shadows and nor did the Imperial Infantrymen.

Moving through, the squad swept through the area with their weapons, the squad ran past dead bodies of civilians and the destroyed housing around them and finally, after a few minutes of bobbing and weaving through the empty alleys, the squad found themselves at the eastern exit out of town. Welkin was leading the platoon and he raised his hand, signaling a stop, then looked to Alexander and Mashiro and pointed forward. The two nodded, then moved ahead and looked around, before giving the thumbs up. The road into town was clear, so the squad made headway out and through the small forest resting at the east side of town.

Aoyama looked to Alicia as she moved beside her, then said "You're... Probably wondering what a bunch of Japanese, guys who are supposed to be your and the Empire's enemy, are doing helping you out..." With a bit of worry. Alicia nodded, then said "I am following the saying 'Don't look a gift horse in the mouth'... We're facing both Imperials and Germans, so this has me thinking things could go sideways on all accounts..."

"I'd have personally gone with 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' there, but agree to disagree." Simo patronized nonchalantly, receiving an icy glare from Alicia, which he ignored. The man was used to that kind of death stare from the Russians, or the damned Imperials as the world called them nowadays. And the cold was his natural habitat after all. He smirked as they kept on running.

A few minutes into the run, the squad began to slow down, both thanks to being tired and to Welkin showing them to keep it slow. They were at the edge of the forest and, ahead of them, lay the open road that lead out of East Bruhl. The squad now moved at a snail's pace as ordered by Welkin, whilst keeping an eye on the road. Simo, Welkin and Alicia spotted it ahead. A relatively small mansion, a very big house and the home of Welkin before he went to Randgriz to study. On the main road right in front of it, an Imperial staff car resided, with two guards posted at the front door, their MPI-3s cradled in their arms, eyes watching through the slits of their helmets for any enemy.

"Two guards? Huh." Alex murmured in a whisper, grinning as he shouldered the SMG. "Should be easy pickings."

"There might be more inside." Aoyama said, cradling her pistol. "At least there are no tanks..." And she shuddered, thinking of the enemy T34s. Alicia glanced toward the girl, pointed at her, then asked "What's up with her?" And Mashiro immediately answered in a dull voice "She is afraid of enemy tanks... The girl developed this fear since basic training in Japan... Where they ran them over in trenches with heavily-armored German tanks from a Lend-Lease program..."

"Best part about that, she's a Lancer." Alex said, then he chuckled. Alicia's eyes widened as she looked at Aoyama, who became flustered and said "Alex, you can be such an asshole at times!" In a hushed whisper, her voice squeaky. The Watch Girl sighed, rubbing her eyes, then watched Simo draw his Lahti L-35, stand up, aim it and fire... It was different though. Both shots were silent and the bullets still hit the enemy, splattering their brain matter, steel and skull onto the walls near the door and on the door itself. The boy lowered the pistol by his hip, removed an extension of the barrel and set it back into his pocket.

"Let Ryuunosuke know his modification for the pistol works." Simo said in a clear, normal voice now, rather than a hush. Everyone else stood up, with Alex patting Simo on the back. The boy added "Good shot, man." And walked out of the bushes beside Welkin and everyone else. The last two girls, Aoyama and Alicia, both walked out and looked down both sides of the street, before going beside Welkin. The boy opened the door slightly, pushing the muzzle of the Colt through it, then looked about. The hallway was clear, so far so good. He opened the door slowly, then set both hands on the pistol and walked inside, followed by Simo, with his pistol drawn and by Alex, while the girls remained outside. The three boys leaned against the wall to the middle door... There were three doors on this hallway. One on the right, one in the middle and one on the left... From the middle one, noises sounded off as if a struggle was ongoing.

Alex nodded to Welkin, who nodded back, giving him the go. The boy raised his SMG with one hand and pushed the door open ever-so-slowly with the other one. Inside, two Imperial soldiers held a young girl at gunpoint. The girl's definitive traits were the dark-blue hair and eyes, as well as the shoal she was wearing over a green dress. The girl was a Darcsen... Isara Gunther, adopted daughter of the Gunther family and Welkin's sister. The two Imperial soldiers spoke to each-other in Russian, the mainstay language of the East Empire. Alexander could partially understand what they were saying.

" _What do we do with the girl?"_ The one on the right, the officer asked, arms crossed as he looked to Isara. The other one sighed, drew his pistol, then answered quickly _"Too much trouble for a POW Camp... Plus, she's a Dark-Hair... I say we just shoot her here and tell command it was an accidental weapon discharge."_ To which the Officer nodded and gave the go-ahead... The man on the left raised his pistol toward Isara, then said "Sorry kid, nothing personal." as he cocked back the hammer of the Tokarev. A gunshot echoed in the room and a croaking sound was heard... The officer looked at Isara, who was still alive, then cocked his head to the left. Shock washed all over him as he saw his soldier, shot in the back. The Imperial dropped the pistol, fell to his knees and then, face-first to the floor.

Alexander placed the SMG's barrel to the back of the Officer's neck, then smirked and said "Tally-ho, _Tovarisch_." Then he squeezed the trigger. A .6 second burst. Two shots escaped from the SMG, tearing through the man's helmet and head almost immediately. He fell to the floor with but a single clank from his armor, dead before he even hit the ground, blood soaking the rug and the wooden floor of the house.

Welkin, Alexander and Simo walked in, with Welkin running to his sister and hugging her. He looked to her, then said "Hey, Isara. Good to see you're okay." To which the 16-year-old smiled and nodded, then said "All thanks to you guys." As she looked at everyone else come in. Mashirou, Aoyama and Alicia stepped in, covering the door and Alicia waved to the girl, then said "Hello, Isara."

"Ah, hello, captain Melchiott. Good to see you're okay!" Isara smiled.

"You two know each-other?" Aoyama asked, looking at Alicia, who nodded, then said "We passed by each-other several times in the Bruhl market. I'm also an apprentice baker, so I tend to sell the bread made by my mentor and, sometimes, myself there... And Isara here's been a faithful customer." And she smiled to the Darcsen girl, settling her rifle on her back.

"So, this is a downright family reunion, then." Alex said, going toward one of the windows overlooking the front porch of the place. Aoyama sighed, then nodded and said "Yeah, he can act like this at times." And she moved toward the door, pistol drawn, and locked it. First the outer door, than the inner door, thus forming whatever kind of a barricade was possible. She then walked beside Alexander and looked out the same window, while Simo scrambled with Mashiro to cover the other windows, opposite, that overlooked a field.

Alicia looked to Welkin and said "Hey, Welkin. Isara. Is there some way out of here? I think the Imps and their T34s may be closing in on us." With a hint of worry. Isara looked to Welkin and Alicia, then nodded to the girl and said "Yeah, there is a way to get us out... Though it may be risky."

"Two Imperial tanks and another staff car spotted! NKVD officer aboard." Reported Alexander, aiming his SMG. Alicia looked to Isara, then said "I think we'll take it! Better than dying in here!"

Isara nodded, then showed everyone to follow her and she ran to a side door within the living room of the place. Everyone stepped away from the windows and formed up with her as they went through a hallway and into the place's darkened Garage. In the middle of it, a tarp lay, covering some massive object. None could tell what it was, but they still followed. Isara moved toward a bunch of shelves, then withdrew a box of Grenades. Rusty-looking stick grenades used by the Gallians in World War 1. Alex knelt beside the girl and the box and grabbed a pair of grenades, then said "Well... At least this gives us a fighting chance." quite calmly. He looked to Isara, then asked "Do they still work?"

"Yes." The girl nodded. "I've been maintaining the gear in this garage with utmost care. While they may seem a bit rusty, these grenades are useful still."

"Nice." The boy said. Isara wanted to add "There's also-" before the lot were forced to dodge bullets entering through one of the front windows, right behind them. Simo took cover behind the shelf where the grenades and tools were located, aimed his Lahti and fired two shots at the bastards. Both missed... And Alicia became angry. She yanked one of the grenades out of Alex' hand, pulled the safety pin from below the stick, removing two wires, then yelled "HAVE SOME OF THIS!" And she cocked her hand back and, with all her might, threw the grenade right through the window. An explosion thundered outside, followed by screams of pain and Aoyama smiled, then said "Good arm." To which the girl replied with a smile and a nod.

Isara sighed in relief, then looked to Welkin and pointed at the tarp, adding onto the conversation "Help me with the tarp, Welks... We'll need what's under it if we're to win this." And making Welkin nod. Alex aimed his SMG at the window, looked to Welkin and Isara and said "We got you covered, you two! Go!" Before they opened fire on the window, keeping other Imperial troops outside pinned with short, controlled bursts and good shots from their rifles and pistols.

Welkin went on one side of the tarp, while Isara went on another as the covering fire continued. Alicia walked beside them and watched them nod to each other. "NOW!" Isara yelled, yanking hard, with Welkin following suit as they pulled the tarp off of... An armored vehicle... It was an incredible, massive-sized heavy tank... The Tank, with a Gallian model to it as well as a Darcsen pattern, had a white noble on its side... And a massive low-velocity 82mm Cannon mounted in its turret.

"That's..." Welkin's smile appeared, wide and warm "Our dad's tank..." To which Isara smiled and nodded "Yes... The _Edelweiss."_

"That's... What?" Alicia murmured in surprise, followed by Alex cheering in Romanian and Simo's grin. Aoyama staggered back in fear and shock, before she was caught by Alexander, who pushed her ahead. He looked to Isara and said "Good plan, kid! We'll smash right through the Imperials' line of defense outside!" And he pushed a protesting Aoyama aboard as she yelled "NONONONO~! I AM NOT GETTING IN THAT!"

"Dammit..." The girl murmured, nearly crying as she lay on the floor of the tank, in a fetal position and with her head on Mashiro's lap. The girl patted Aoyama on the head and sighed, unamused. The vehicle was bloody cramped with so many people aboard. Alexander was sitting nicely next to the girl. Back to back, actually, leaning on each-other, while Simo was sitting beside Isara with Alicia. Welkin was manning the tank's cannon and turret. Welkin looked to his sister, arranging his com headset on, then said "Through the door, Is! Now!" And the girl put the tank into 6th, literally launching them out through the door, knocking some Imperials over AND Skidding to a halt right next to the forest, turning to a 90 degree angle and facing the Imperial T-34s.

The NKVD officer gasped. A tank? How could this be?!

Inside the vehicle, Alicia smirked, looked to Isara, then yelled "I got an idea here... RUN THROUGH THEM! MAX SPEED!" And Alexander protested "You NUTS? It's tanks we're facing here, Captain Gallia! Get your mind out of the gutter!" And he stood up. Alicia pushed him back down, then said "Listen... The enemy tanks are far enough apart for us to get through! Just trust me, wouldja?"

Alexander looked around the vehicle, receiving nods from his allies as to the plan... He sighed, then relented "Fine..." And grabbed hold of something. Isara kicked it into sixth again and the engine purred... She said to everyone "Hang on tight! We're going through!" And she let go of the breaks, propelling the tank forward at full speed. Outside, the Imperial forces scrambled, with both T34s traversing their turrets and guns to fire... One got a shot off and the round bounced off the front of the tank, while the other shot and missed. The Gallian Tank's cannon boomed, hitting beside the enemy truck as it tried to move away and partially lifting it off the ground, whilst also creating a cloud of dust in front of the Imperial Gunners. The NKVD officer's car backed off as the Gallian Tank burst through the defenses and down the road.

"Where to now?" Welkin asked, looking to Alicia. She nodded and said "To get your friends... And talk to my commander. The Town Watch Headquarters."

...

Within the Town Watch HQ, the situation couldn't be more quiet. Matt had just walked out of the conference room and let out a long sigh, then looked below, to the sight of Misaki, Jin and Kolkka talking, Misaki with her usually hyperactive demeanor, while Ryuunosuke worked on the vehicle. The guy always resembled a girl. From up close, from afar, the Darcsen boy nicknamed the Dragon by Misaki was a mystery that eluded even today's advanced science. The boy mostly preferred to be alone as he dealt with repairing the Halftrack or some other Gallian Vehicles, even cars, when alone.

The boy walked down the stairs and out of the building, to the courtyard, then said "Hey, guys." making the trio currently talking swivel about. Misaki smiled, then ran toward Matt and asked "So, how'd it go~? Did the old guy wanna listen to you?" with her hyperactive demeanor. Matt sighed, crossed his arms and shook his head, then said "Sadly no. The actual leader is gone out of town to get the army and now this guy that's leading them wants to jump right into hell and drive their rusty tanks out into the fight... Though there's no engineer around to repair them aside from Ryuu."

"Aw, man..." Misaki sighed, crossing her arms and pouting.

They heard a warning blare from the watchtower. A tank incoming... Matt gasped, drew his pistol and watched everyone stand up and grab their weapons, aiming them down the path. Matt gasped, seeing the tank's turret, then yelled "STAND DOWN! STAND DOWN! IT'S THEM!" With a wide grin on his face as the _Edelweiss_ itself stopped ahead of them. The hatches opened and the crew started piling out of the vehicle, weapons on their backs and gear in their bags, only to be greeted by their friends and by the Town Watch.

"So, you got it, eh?" Matt smirked, extending his hand toward Welkin, who shook it and nodded. He pointed to Isara and said "Without her help and her maintaining the _Edelweiss_ , we wouldn't have made it..." And Matt's smile widened, then he walked toward Isara, extended his hand and said "Good to see you alive and well, Is." To whch she nodded, smiled back and said "Likewise, Matt... Looks like we're in for a war."

"True to that, kiddo." The boy nodded, then he looked around and sighed, glancing toward the rusted-out Gallian Type-36c Tanks. This was gonna be a long battle to defend Bruhl until the last of the Civilians evacuated and he knew that all too well... Good thing they were all around. Him, Alexander, Sakura-sou squad and everybody else. At least, with the Town Watch, they could rearm and fight too...


	3. Bruhl Part 2

_**Inside the HQ.**_

Matt, Simo and Kolkka moved together with Welkin toward the meeting room in the Town Watch's HQ. A few people walked past them. Town Watchmen in their uniforms and carrying the old Gallian-1 Rifles, rusted weapons with the woodwork splintering, full of mold. Of course, the Gallian Regulars wouldn't give up the good weapons just to hand out to a bunch of mere watchmen, especially those near the border. The group of soldiers and the Civilian, Welkin, moved past them. Simo looked to Kolkka and asked "How'd it go, getting here?" And she nodded, smiled and said "Well, easy... A few bumps and heavy booms along the way, but we managed."

"Booms... You met one of the Imps' T34s, didn't you?" Simo asked, raising an eyebrow at his sister. She nodded, smile withstanding, then added "Yeah. Pretty nuts if you ask me." And she drew her pistol, a Nagan revolver she got from an Imp NKVD officer on the way, then started checking her ammo. The group, meanwhile, kept on going through the hallways, where people were talking and all, about the new arrivals. Kolkka sighed, looked to Matt, slinging the Nagan back into its holster, then asked "Where's Ryuu and the new girl, Isara?"

"Ryuu is fixing up the tanks with Isara. Girly-Man's got his hands full with Isara's heavy Technical knowledge about Gallian Armored Vehicles and all, so, you can guess where this is going." The Siegfried boy answered, eyes peering forward. Kolkka grinned, then nodded and said "Well, he's 1 year older than that Isara girl, ain't he? In fact, most of the Sakura-sou Crew are somewhere between 15 and 17 years of age."

She received an elbow to her arm from Simo, whined and looked to confront her brother, before she saw he was giving her the 'Shut it' look. She sighed, rubbed her arm, then nodded and said "Right." before settling her weapons back onto her person. The group finally got to the meeting room, to which Welkin pushed the door open slowly, then entered first. Matt followed, then Simo and, finally, herself. Twelve people, the elders of the town, sat at the table, discussing good positions to set up defenses in within Bruhl to help the evacuation finish up. One of them, however, was arguing over going right through the Imperials with the two tanks they had.

"I'm telling you people... The Imperials have brought three medium tanks, from what Captain Melchiott has told us." The man snapped, then slammed his hand into the table "We must take the initiative and attack them while they're still unconscious of us having two fast tanks!" And he looked ahead, to see Matt, the boy with arms crossed and a disapproving look. Welkin walked beside him with the same demeanor, while their escort, the two sniper brothers, sat at the door, rifles slung on their backs. Welkin leaned onto the table and said "I would not recommend engaging the enemy tanks with your current forces, sir... As far as Isara told me before we walked in, your tanks are in a sorry state of operation."

"Rusted, looking like they are fresh out of the garbage, more-like." Matt said, arms crossed. The two received a worried glance from Alicia, who was in the back of the room, to which Welkin took to nodding to her, also giving her a reassuring smile. The man ahead of them, however, snarled and answered in a low growl "Who are you two to question what we can do here?" And he yelled "I'm in charge since Thalmor left like a coward to ask for reinforcements! You two can't tell me what to do-" And he was stopped promptly by the sound of a hard hit against wood. The entire room gasped as they saw Matt's hand planted onto the table. He'd hit it hard... "Who we are? I'm Matt Siegfried, heir to the Siegfried family. And the man beside me is my friend and the son of the very General that saved Gallia in the First World War. Welkin Gunther." The boy snapped back, raising his hand off the table and looking at the man "You know who both of us are and what kind of training I've received... You really wanna go against the better judgement of an NCO, Watch-boy?"

Alicia, Kolkka and Simo saw the hesitation in the man's brown eyes as he backed off, then sighed and nodded. He looked to everyone, then said "I will be out to make a head count of our current effective of soldiers..." with a trembling voice. He shoved past Matt, glaring daggers at him and Welkin, then walked through the door and slammed it shut in pure anger. Simo chuckled, then said "That man's life expectancy just dropped like a bomb."

Matt nodded, looked to Welkin, then said "I think I'll go look with the others for Radios. You can talk to these guys about a good strategy, right, buddy?" And he received a nod from Welkin. The boy inhaled, exhaled, then leaned onto the table and started looking over the maps, with the others in the room exchanging whispers and glances about the youthful nature boy. He sighed, rubbing his eyes as he finished examining the maps, then looked to Alicia and waved her forward. She nodded, walked up beside him and leaned onto the table as well. One of the maps was the latest update to the situation in town. The Town Watchmen had been pushed to the gate out of the village, escorting the few hundred civilians still alive. The Blue arrows and triangles represented the units stationed in-town, while the red ones, which were more numerous, were the Imperial soldiers.

"I'm gonna need your help to formulate a good strategy as well, Alicia." Welkin said, looking to her. "Think you can help?"

Alicia nodded and said "No problem. Leave it to me." giving the boy a smile.

* * *

 ** _Garage._**

The rusted old Gallian Type-36c Tanks were currently being worked on by Ryuunosuke and Isara, the two Darcsen engineers of the team, with Isara working one tank and Ryuu working on the other. Jin and Misaki were outside, loading up on ammo and supplies for when the first operation against the Imperial forces would actually begin properly. Jin loaded a fresh clip into his Gallian-2, cocked the weapon and looked to Misaki, who hauled up an old AT Lance with a wide grin, as well as an MG-08 in her other hand. Despite her small stature, the girl had quite the muscle to be able to haul the two weapon sets.

Ryuu sighed, looking at his two comrades, then continued repairing the tank. The boy had caught his strangely long hair in a bun on the back of his head and was currently working in only a tank-top, due to the heat inside the place. He cranked twice on a lever and propped the two Ragnite Radiator vents out and onto the floor, then went inside the vehicle's engine to check it. He looked around, using a ragnite-powered flashlight, banged on a pipe and was immediately greeted by a wave of smoke hitting him right in the face. He backed off and coughed, waving his hand in front of his face to clear it out, eyes closed.

"Just as I thought... The radiator and exhaust are clogged full of dust and debris. If they try to move these things, the engines will die out before they can even perform another move... Or in combat." The boy sighed, then looked toward Isara, who chuckled. He shrugged, then asked "What?" Before she pointed at her own face, meaning his... His eyes widened and he became flustered, grabbing his towel from the toolbox and wiping his face. He sighed, tossing it away, then went back into the vehicle.

Isara sighed, looking at him, then nodded "Yeah. Things aren't looking good for these vehicles... They should be scrapped."

"Indeed." Ryuu responded, sighing. He set the radiator vents back into place, locked them in and walked toward Isara, his coat hanging by his neck with the sleeves tied together. He handed her a towel and the side of his mouth bent into a bit of a green as he pointed at his face. Isara blushed, took the towel and wiped her face clean as well, then stood up and went to work on putting the vents back as well. Finished with their work, the two heard a door creak open behind them. Ryuu looked back and said "Siegfried, Gunther. I trust everything went accordingl-..." He paused, eyes wide as he saw the current commander of the town watch, with five more people. The man looked to the Japanese boy, then asked "Are the vehicles in working condition, Darcsen?"

Ryuu raised an eyebrow, then said "Yes, but barely. Their exhausts and radiators are clogged up. It could cause an engine stop right in the middle of the field." with a hint of worry. The man nodded, his eyes showing that he clearly ignored everything after the 'yes'. He shouldered his Martini-Henry single-shot breechloader and said "Very well then. Out of the way. We're taking them out and heading to fight the Imperial forces right now."

"What?!" The boy demanded, placing a hand on the Commander's chest, stopping him. "Did you hear a word I said? These things could sputter and die on you as you're facing Imperial Lancers, or worse, one of their T-34s and, let's be honest, a Gallian Type-36 isn't the most armored tank you could take to battle! Do you have a fracking Death Wish, officer?!"

The commander pushed his hand away, then said "Don't touch me. Your kind are only good for fixing up tanks and mining Ragnite, so shut up and do your job, while we think and deal with the enemy." And he stepped away without letting the angry Ryuu say another word. The boy's eyes widened even more in shock as he saw the two kids Matt and the others had come with following the man. They boarded the tanks and both vehicles drove away, with Isara running out of the way and beside Ryuu. She looked to him, then asked "Didn't you try to explain it to him!? Those vehicles' engines will stall out!"

"I _did_ tell him..." Ryuu said, clenching his fist. "He merely called me out as a Darcsen..." And he huffed, then turned toward the vehicles, specifically their Halftrack and the _Edelweiss_ and added "Ignorant people like him would best die out soon. They're why this country was and is being dragged as far into the dirt as it is." And he stomped off toward the Halftrack, with a worried Isara following him.

Matt, Simo and Kolkka ran out of the building, with Simo carrying a pair of binoculars and scoping out the two vehicles running off to combat. The Sniper let out an exasperated sigh, then said "Just as you predicted, Matt. The idiot ran off with both tanks..." And he looked to Isara and Ryuu, walked to them then asked "Did you try and warn them?"

"Yes." Ryuu said, scoping them out from atop the Halftrack with his set of binoculars. "Called me and the Gunther girl out for being Darcsen. Charismatic, I must say..."

The group immediately saw five Bruhl Town Watchmen running toward them, hauling their Gallian-1 Rifles on their backs, two grenades each and pistols for the two leading them. A blonde girl with blue eyes and blonde hair caught in a bun, with bangs hanging out the front and a pink bow on the back of her head, her skin fair, as well as a more tanned boy with black hair and a blue bandana on his head, as well as brown eyes. The two skidded to a halt, seeing the two Gallian vehicles, specifically the _Edelweiss_ and their Halftrack and, of course, the Japanese soldiers clad in Gallian Uniforms.

"Holy shit." The boy said, moving toward Matt. "The Siegfrieds' heir." And he chopped a hand to his forehead "Bruhl Town Watchman and Private Noce Wordsworth, at your service, sir." with a smile, then motioned toward the blonde girl who was breathing heavily from the running and added "She's a friend of mine. Susie Evans." To which the girl immediately saluted too, then leaned onto her knees with her hands, breathing heavily. "Give me a moment..." She panted "To catch my breath..."

Matt patted her on the shoulder, then said "Take as much time as you need, miss Evans." And looked toward Noce, then asked "Wordsworth, status in the village?"

"Imperial forces closing in on the gate. Our boys are being steadily pushed back..." The boy promptly answered, then he looked back and asked "Those two tanks... That was the current commander and his crew, right?"

"Aye." Matt nodded, crossing his arms "Even though I and Welkin warned him against it. So did our engineers." And he tilted his head toward Isara and Ryuu, the latter of which stepped up and added "Those tanks' engines are going to stall out and die while they're facing superior Imperial armor... The idiot just signed his own death warrant."

Noce's eyes widened, before he asked "You sure about that?!"

"We personally made the check-ups of the engines." Isara answered, with Ryuu nodding in approval.

"Oh, crap..." Noce said, turning toward the path. He stuttered in fear "W-Well we have to go back for them, Warn them about this before the Imps get to them!" And he felt Matt's hand on his shoulder. The boy nodded, then said "Aye. We'll do." Looked to Ryuu and Isara and added "I managed to talk to the leader of a squadron of Volunteers and Exiles serving in Gallia. The 505th Joint Fighter Wing. They said they'll be here within 30 minutes to provide air cover. Their leader, a Hungarian exiled girl said she's just redirected the entire squadron to here and they're loaded with ammo."

Alex and Mashiro joined up with them, the former carrying an MG-08 and a set of rusty light armor he'd gotten from within the armory. On their backs were bags full of ammo and grenades for their current weapons, signaling they were ready to engage. Alexander grinned, then said "Found this old Juggernaut set in the armory. It may be a bit rusty, but it'll keep me safe from any enemy small arms."

Mashiro nodded, then said "We're good got go." As she cocked her Gallian-2.

"Good." Matt nodded. "Very good."

"So, what now?" Kolkka asked, drawing her rifle from her back and loading it, bullet by bullet. Matt looked, to see Welkin and Alicia running toward them, then said "Let's ask Welkin. I'm sure he can give us some pointers." And he walked ahead of them. The two stopped and Welkin asked "Where's the commander and the kids?" with worry visible on his face. He looked around at the faces of his comrades and sighed "He left... With the tanks?"

"Yeah. And the two kids in his crew." Matt answered woefully. Welkin sighed and looked to Alicia, who was giving quite a grim look, then said "It's fine... We can catch up to them in time and stop them. The _Edelweiss_ has plenty of speed for that." And she nodded, then looked ahead at the two watchmen, Susie and Noce, and gasping. She ran toward them, past Welkin, then asked "You guys okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine... Luckily..." Susie said with worry. Noce smiled, nodded and said "Careful with your friends as ever, Alicia. Yeah. We're fine."

"Good..." The girl sighed in relief. "Some good news for today."

"Simo! Check this out!" Kolkka yelled, pointing at a trail of smoke coming from town, right between some houses. Simo swore behind his breath, turned toward Matt, then yelled "WE HAVE TO GO, NOW! ONE OF OUR TANKS JUST GOT KNOCKED THE HELL OUT!" making everyone stiffen in pure shock. The group, without word, scrambled to their vehicles, with Misaki and Jin jumping into the Halftrack and opening the back doors for the other Watchmen to enter. Misaki waved Noce and Susie in, weapon on her back. She helped them and the three other Watchmen aboard, while everyone else scrambled for the _Edelweiss_ and got on top of it. Isara manned the tank's driver seat and Ryuu immediately took the Halftrack's. The last ones inside the halftrack were Mashiro and Alex, the latter of which cocked his MG-08, feeding a round into the weapon's chamber.

The two vehicles immediately revved their engines up, their ragnite radiators lighting up, then turned about and left for the town, with the _Edelweiss_ in the lead. Matt watched from within the tank as their friends and the Town Watchmen moved in close behind them, aboard the vehicle that had served as their carrier so far through this fight. He sighed, steadied his rifle by his hip, then loaded a fresh clip in. Going into the town, they saw the wreck of one Gallian Tank in the middle of the road, a massive hole through the side. its spaced skirt armor did little to stop the damaging shot from the 76mm... The other tank was at the next T-Intersection, its engine dead. The group saw the crew, the two kids and the officer, jumping out of it just as a shell struck its back side, making it explode and leaving nothing but a twisted frame of steel.

Matt gasped, pushed up the hatch and looked to Welkin and Isara, then Welkin added "Cover us! We'll be providing armored support" making Matt grin. The boy simply nodded to his long time friend and to his sister, then jumped out, followed by Alexander dropping off the side of the tank, Mashiro following and Simo and Kolkka with them. The group formed a loose phalanx as they moved down the street, with the tank and Half-track close behind them. Jin and three Watchmen manned the MGs of the Halftrack, while Susie, and Noce immediately dropped out, the former with Ragnaid in her hand and a pistol in the other.

Imperial Forces poured out from behind the kids and officer and one of the enemies, a Shock Trooper carrying an Imperial PPSh, opened fire. The somewhat inaccurate SMG's bursts went wide, but a bullet did manage to nick the Gallian Town Watch officer in the back. He stumbled and fell to his stomach after the shot pierced his spine and a lung and he started breathing erratically. Simo immediately fired a shot, killing the Imperial that hit the officer with a straight-up headshot. The man's head jolted back and his neck armor exploded off the back. He fell, dead onto the floor, as Alicia and the Watchmen advanced beside the _Edelweiss._

Susie, under covering fire from Alex' Machine Gun and Mashiro's rifle, dashed to help the commander and fell to her knees by his side, pushing him up and over onto his back... Too late had she arrived, for the man was already dead. His empty eyes stared at the sky as his mouth, wide open, added to the expression of disbelief on his face. The girl backed off, then looked to her left to see an Imperial Scout aim his rifle for her and froze... Before an aimed shot whistled past her right ear and hit the man right between the eyes. She gasped and squeaked in fear, then looked to her right to see Kolkka, the barrel of her rifle still smoking after she'd fired the shot. The sniper girl walked up to Susie, then pushed her into cover behind a brick wall and followed her, leaning against the wall. She looked to Susie, then asked "You hit, Blondie?" clearly worried over the girl. Susie shook her head, then uttered out in fear, with a stutter "I-I'm fine... T-Thank you..."

"Don't thank me, just stay put!" Kolkka yelled. She smiled to the girl, then peeked out and looked down the Iron Sights of her Springfield rifle and squeezed the trigger. An Imperial's chest plate wound up with a pretty big hole on the left and the man twisted as he fell onto the paved stone floor. A staccato symphony of machine gun fire sounded off as the Maxims from the Halftrack opened fire, as well as the MAGS T1 of the Edelweiss and Alexander's MG-08.

Alexander lumbered toward the kids, without a helmet, and kept on firing with his MG. He walked to them, then watched them cowering behind a piece of rubble in the middle of the street and said "GET UP, YOU TWO! THIS IS NO TIME TO HIDE! WE'RE IN A BATTLEFIELD!" And he motioned back with his head "GO! WE GOT YOU COVERED! GET TO MISS EVANS!"

The two, tears in their eyes, looked up, smiled and nodded, then began running. Alex took a rifle shot to the shoulder, making his aim fall off. The round harmlessly bounced off the armored arm and onto the floor, a snub bullet after the impact. The boy grinned, dusted off his shoulder, then raised the MG-08 once again and fired from the hip. The Imperial soldiers out in the open scrambled for cover and one fell prey to three shots from Mashiro's Gallian-1 through his side. He skidded across the stone road for a moment, his blood draping part of it. Mashiro nodded, then said to herself "Just like at painting..." As she loaded a fresh clip into her rifle.

She received a worried glance from Alicia, who said "If this is how you paint, I'm scared to see your artwork." and aimed her rifle. She fired toward an Imperial running for a wall, hitting the brick and scratching the wall. The Imperials took cover and Alicia pouted, then slid behind her cover, the destroyed Gallian Type-36c and reloaded. Mashiro looked to her, then said "Let your hand guide the rifle like it is a brush, clear your mind... Your shots will hit as if you were a sniper if you do that." quite dully, in her usual tone. She immediately snapped up and out of cover and fired at an Imperial that peeked out from behind his wall and nailed him with a shot right to the eye. The man fell, grabbing his eye and screamed in pain, before dying after a struggle with himself. Alicia cringed at the sight, then nodded to Mashiro and said "Okay, you're scary..."

"Thank you." Mashiro nodded, in her always-deadpan face.

The rumble of tracks sounded off, a second set of them as, ahead, an olive drab hull appeared, with the Imperial Army insignia on its turret's side. The 76mm gun of the T34 traversed with the turret, its slanted side exposed to the _Edelweiss._ Matt gasped, then saw the enemy tank's cannon aimed properly. It fired its first shell and the round went straight for the _Edelweiss..._ Immediately bouncing off its thick and slanted forward armor with a loud gong sound. It hit a building and shattered it. Matt tapped his microphone, the one he carried with him, then yelled "I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO, BUDDY!" toward Welkin.

A rocket flew off from the Halftrack's back toward the enemy tank and hit its track, disabling the vehicle before it could fall back. Aoyama smirked, pumped her fist into the air and said "DIRECT BLOODY HIT, LADS! THAT'S HOW THE TANK REAPER DOES IT!" with joy. She saw Misaki drop out of the vehicle with her SMG and open fire, but the girl took time to high-five her friend and said "JOLLY GOOD SHOT, SWEETHEART!"

The Imperial Soldiers saw their tank immobilized and so, two engineers rushed with tread repair kits to its aid, as the Imperials began a fierce counterattack. SMGs, rifles and Light Machine Guns, the Imperials' Degtyaryovs, barked in unison, making the Gallians take cover behind their armored vehicles and behind the walls. Simo and Kolkka were forced to take pot-shots at the enemy unit, striking one or two whenever they managed to peek out. Matt sighed, then looked to the turret of the _Edelweiss_ as it traversed toward the Imperial tank... And its 82 millimeter Cannon boomed, hitting the enemy T-34-76 right through its lightly-armored side. The ammo racks inside exploded and, almost immediately, a massive fire erupted out of the turret, a geyser of blue and orange. The Imperial Tank Crew and the Engineers by it were immediately vaporized.

The Imperials, stunned by the sudden turn of pace, decided to continue firing until their second tank arrived... But that would prove to be impossible as, overhead, a droning noise cried out. The Gallians, Watchman and Sakura-sou alike, gazed up at the sky as 6 planes bearing Gallian Volunteer Flight Corps markings swooped in, their 7.92 Machineguns sounding off. The planes had bright yellow noses and air intakes that were rather thin for air to enter properly, but there was also one below the propeller itself. The engine was a piston V-8 Engine, designed by the Romanians and this low monoplane seemed fairly familiar in design to Alexander and Mashiro... Its 20mm Cannons roared and shredded a retreating Imperial squad, before it arched up and away. It had a Romanian marking on its side, that of the Royal family and the pilot aboard, Mashiro and Alex could tell, was a woman... Beside her, 5 more planes of the same type swooped in and made the Imperials sound the general retreat.

Gallian IAR-80s of the Volunteer Corps, those given to them and the Polish by the Romanians...

Welkin appeared out of the cupola of the tank with a smile as he looked up. He placed his hand on the communication device, then said "Copy that, Squadron Leader. Thank you for the assist, Mirage Witches. See you at Amaranthine." And he looked to everyone, cheering as the Imperials fell back deeper into Bruhl. The boy looked to Matt, then said "That was the 505th Joint Volunteer Fighter Wing. Anti-Imperial and Anti-Fascist to the bone... Their leader is from the former Austria and they also have a Romanian with them... One Reserve Lieutenant Constantia Cantacuzino, or "Honeybee" as nicknamed by the Squadron..."

"God bless them, were they fast..." Alicia smiled, watching the six birds soar high into the sky. Matt grinned, sighed and looked at Bruhl's destroyed buildings, then looked to Welkin. The man nodded and said "Alright, everyone! I think it's time to go... The Imperials have retreated for now, but they'll be coming back with a bigger force soon! I just got the word on the Civilians! The Army is outside the village and they've gotten most of the refugees... it's our turn to head for Randgriz!"

Everyone cheered, raising their rifles. Welkin, however, sighed as he looked about...

* * *

 _ **Hilltop outside Bruhl...**_

As the sun set in the back, an orange sky and a burning village lay on the horizon... Alicia lay there, watching the wind blow away the smoke of the fire with sadness overtaking her... She looked back to Welkin and Matt talking to a military unit, with Simo, Kolkka and Alex right beside them. The soldier, the actual commander of the Bruhl town watch, saluted Welkin and Matt, then smiled and waved goodbye to the girl. She answered kindly in the same manner, then watched the man go away into one of the trucks... She sighed, then turned back to Bruhl, before feeling a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey..." Welkin said, looking at Bruhl... The entire Sakura-sou crew joined them on the edge of the hill. She sighed, then said in a shaky voice "That's my village... My home... All that I've known for my entire life... Gone..."

"Not gone. Still there, but in the enemy's hands." Misaki corrected with a smirk, walking beside Alicia, arms crossed. The girl winked at her friend, then looked to Jin, who walked up beside her and added "Yeah. Misaki's right. It's not even close to gone... The Imps have it for now."

"I grew up there, with Isara. Just like you did, Alicia..." Welkin said with a heavy sigh. "It's not gone though, not in any of our eyes... That, we can be sure of. It's still there, in front of us... Yes, occupied by Imperials... But this is a war... We'll be back here."

"And we'll help retake it." Simo and Kolkka said from behind Alicia, both smiling at the girl.

"No matter the cost." Ryuunosuke and Matt added, the former with his usual, uninterested face and Matt with a calm grin. Welkin looked to Alicia, then finished off "Yeah. We will get our homes back... We will see Bruhl again, no matter the cost..."

"But first... We must sign up with the Militia." Mashino said, leaning onto the tree. Alex smirked, then looked to her and said "For a painter, you've got guts, Mashiro. Though I couldn't agree more..." And Aoyama grinned, shouldering her Lance, then added "Yeah. How else are we gonna get your homes back?"

"You guys..." Alicia said with a smile... She merely nodded, then said "Aye... We'll get home back in no time! We'll be back here after we kick the Imperials and Germans clear out of Gallia!" And she knelt ahead, picking up a lion's paw flower, whose petals had turned into seeds... She let the wind blow them away with a smile, then looked to everyone behind her... All of them... People she didn't even know, half of which she could consider the enemy... All of them pledging to help her get her home back? it was a warm thing to see... She nodded, then said "Alright, people! Onward, to Randgriz!"

"TO RANDGRIZ!" Cheered the squad happily...

 _"Within the span of a day, Bruhl fell. A minor victory for the Imperials, this'd mark our first taste for blood and the rise of Welkin and Matt, along with some of their friends, to the rank of Heroes within Gallia... From here on out, our story truly begins... So strap in tight folks, and put on your suits of armor and blast-resistant uniforms... For we go to war, to liberate our new homes... And to defeat our enemy for good."_

 _-Prince Alexander Hohenzhollern-Zigmaringen, in his memoirs of the Two Fronts:The Second World War in Gallia-_

* * *

 ** _AN:BRUHL ARC DONE..._**

 ** _Finally..._**

 ** _Now, onto the good stuff! As you can probably tell, Matt, Alex and Mashiro are also gonna serve as Gallian NCOs in Squad 7 and the Sakura-sou crew will be their Elite, Special Forces so to speak..._**

 ** _Anyways, until next time, at Fort Amaranthine:_**

 ** _ENTER SQUAD 7!_**

 ** _Toodles~! :D_**


	4. The Seventh Platoon emerges

_**-Play OST:Valkyria Chronicles Theme-**_

 _ **Fort Amaranthine. Four days later.**_

A dozen people sat in the office that the commander of the third regiment of the Gallian Militia occupied, a very strange place. All of them were people who'd completed officer training for the Militia beside their usual classes and all of them were ranging of age from 18 to their late 40s. Alongside them, others who had trained as NCOs, with ages ranging from 16 up to the mid thirties. Among them were Welkin Gunther, Lieutenant in rank, Matthew Siegfried, Alicia Melchiott and Alexander, the three with Sergeant Ranks. Sitting at the desk, a woman in her mid-thirties, with raven hair caught in a small bun on the back of her head and loose, long and thick strands at the front. She arranged her glasses on her nose, her blue eyes peering over the personnel file of Welkin Gunther himself, clad in his officer's tanker uniform.

With a clear voice, calm, but stoic, the woman said "Lieutenant Welkin Gunther. You're assigned to Platoon 7 as their commander. And per request... Your tank and Halftrack are coming with you." And she raised her blue eyes from the paper, to see Welkin snap a salute as the room burst into whispers about Welkin's family name, which made Alex give off a slight grin.. The boy answered a quick "Yes, ma'am!" Before settling back down. The woman nodded, then set his file onto the table beside a few other ones that had been assigned. She got to Alicia, nodded, then said "Sergeant Alicia Melchiott... You're also with Platoon 7, serving as the NCO." And Alicia immediately saluted, then said "Understood, ma'am!" and settled herself down. She got to a three-way file. Matt, Alex and Mashiro. She looked to see only Matt and Alex there, then said "Sergeant Siegfried and Sergeant Alexander. Platoon 7 as well... It is a pretty big Platoon, with some 40 people, so multiple NCOs are required to keep them in check." And she nodded to Matthew "Though I trust that you, alongside Lieutenant Gunther and Sergeant Melchiott, can keep them in check."

"Yes, ma'am!" The two boys yelled, saluting. She nodded, looked back down to Mashiro's file, then said "Ah, and tell Corpsman Mashiro Shiina she's in your unit as well. Field medics are hard to come by these days..." And she nodded to them. "That's all the officers and added members for the Sevens... I will give the Lieutenant personnel files on everyone after I finish assigning every other officer to their posts... Seventh Platoon officers, DISMISSED!"

The group clicked their heels, saluted again, swiveled around and walked toward the door, clearing a place in the front, where the back officers moved up a row. Walking out the door and closing it, the group formed up outside, in the hallways of the executive building of Amaranthine. With Welkin in the lead, the group started walking down the corridor toward the Sevens' barracks. Alicia looked toward Alex, then asked "Speaking of miss Killer Painter, where is she?"

"Farthest cot of the hangars, probably sleeping as Ryuu's making repairs to the Halftrack." Alex answered, nodding to Alicia. He smiled, sighed and chuckled "That girl's always been a heavy sleeper after any heavy exercise... Or anything that actually puts a mental strain on her."

"What's up with that, anyway? Never got to talk to her much." Matt inquired, looking to Alex. The Romanian boy shrugged and said "I don't know... She said some doctors say that she has a mental disease unknown to the medical and psychiatric branches... Others, that she's just simply lazy on instinct. I don't see her being mentally ill, though. She enjoys life to its fullest and hasn't ever shown signs of problems."

Alicia looked to him, then raised an eyebrow and said "Well, anything related to the mind might not show for decades... That or... Wasn't she some big painter after all?"

"Attended the London Art Schools and passed all their exams easily... Some of her paintings are in the Louvre right now." Alex responded, arms crossed. Everyone looked to him, clearly shocked, then Alicia stuttered in asking "W-What!?" to which Alex merely gave a nod. She sighed, then said "That's why... It must be lonely at the top like that. I'm betting a lot of guys courted her over the simple fact she and her parents earned a lot of money from it, so she started shutting everyone out, acting quite dull."

Alex sighed, nodded and said "That'd do it." Then looked to Welkin and switched the subject "Hey, Lt. How far out from the Barracks are we?"

"It's rooms 305 and 306, actually." Welkin said, then he pointed to the doors. "Right here." And the group walked into the place, to the sights of the 40 people, as per the Captain's sayings. The group looked around the room, to the sight of Susie and Noce sitting nearby. The two former watchmen waved to them, the latter with a smile, then continued talking. There were a few empty bunks in 305, four to be exact. And another two here in 306.

"Well, that's strange..." Matt said, scratching his chin. Welkin nodded and said "Think it's them?" to which he received a nod from Matt, then said "Most likely. They don't really sit still..."

"Who are you guys talking about?" Alicia inquired, looking at the two. Welkin turned back toward her and answered calmly "Four friends of Matt's, two of which are Darcsen." Making the girl look toward Matt, who nodded and said "It's true..."

Before the little chit-chat could continue, the sound of something breaking and a boatload of swearing sounded off from the outside. The group turned about and ran toward the exit without another word, then turned and left for the courtyard. There, they saw a boy with silver hair and clad in a militia squad 7 uniform clutching his right shoulder. The boy groaned in pain, then grunted and yelled "I thought Dark-hairs weren't supposed to fight back!"

Alicia gasped, then looked up, to see a pair of boys clad in Gallian Militia Uniforms, Squad 7 as well, in hand-to-hand combat stances. Beside them, Ryuu was in front of Mashiro, his right cheek a bit swollen and bruised. He sighed, set his jaw back into place, then nodded and showed Mashiro to go for the door. The blonde Japanese girl complied, immediately running for the door. She stopped in front of Welkin, Alexander, Matt and Alicia and sighed in relief, then looked to the boy on the floor, still struggling with his arm and said "Idiots..." And moved behind Alex. The Romanian looked to the girl, then, with a raised eyebrow, asked "The hell's going on here, Mashiro?"

She pointed at the boy and two of his friends, then said "The three took to bullying Ryuu while he was taking me to the Seventh Platoon's barracks... He insulted them and received a punch to the jaw. When the two in the middle, taking judo stances, saw that, they jumped in."

Matt grinned, then looked to Alex and pointed at the two, then said "That's the two friends I've told you about. The Darcsens. Ragna and Kai."

"Wow." Alex smirked, crossing his arms. Alicia was in pure shock... She'd never heard of Darcsens not following their code. "A Darcsen must not retaliate" she always heard the parents say to their kids as they were mocked, dehumanized and treated as if they were a plague... Never had she seen any fight back. However, the girl noticed something odd about the first one... Half his hair was silver and one of his irises was cherry-red. With a smirk, the boy looked back to his friend, then said "Ready, Kai?" And the asian Darcsen nodded "Aye aye, Ragna. Let's kick some ass!"

The two friends of the boy on the floor rushed Ragna and Kai, cocking back their fists. The two ducked under the strikes as they came, effectively making the enemies hit each-other's hands. The two bastards staggered back, to which Ragna applied an uppercut to his, breaking his teeth, while Kai sent a low leg sweep in the direction of the other, knocking him off his feet.

"Holy shit, you weren't kidding, Matt!" Alex exclaimed with a wide grin. "They're good!"

The boy who caught the uppercut with his jaw started seeing double, shook his head, clearing the confusion, then growled and looked to Ragna, who grinned, then asked "What's the matter, jackass? Getting whiplash?!" Before he parried one of his punches. The Darcsen boy grabbed his wrist, twisted it inward, kicked his shin and sent the man tumbling to the ground. The boy with the wounded arm in front of Welkin and the others stood up, set his arm back into place, growled, then yelled "OI! FREAKSHOW! WHICH SIDE SHOULD I LOOK AT WHEN I TALK TO YOU?!" Toward Ragna. Matt sighed, planted a palm on his face, then said "Oh, fuck..." and chuckled. "The bastard screwed up SO BAD."

Ragna's expression turned from one of smugness, then cocked his head toward the boy. Kai sighed, keeping the other bastard pinned to the floor, then warned the soldier ahead "YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT, REGARD! IT'S GONNA END BADLY FOR YOU!" To which the boy raised an eyebrow and looked to Ragna. The soldier-boy ran toward this 'Regard' guy and, before he had a chance to get out of the way, he felt a hand wrapped around his throat. Ragna was already in front of him before he got to run. He immediately felt himself get sent face-first into the dirt, skidding to a stop in front of Ryuu, who started walking across the field and to everyone else standing at the door.

Ragna walked toward him as he was struggling to get back to his feet, then knelt in front of him and pinned him to the floor with one hand. The Darscen boy sighed, then said "How do I say this, buddy... Don't talk shit about my looks." And he picked the boy up, setting him to his feet and holding him by the collar. He pulled him close, so they were face-to-face, then said "My hair and eyes are the last thing I have to remind me of my parents, asshole... Disrespecting that is like spitting on my parents' graves... And I won't have that standing here... We may be same squad, Cezary... You can throw slurs at me, try and beat the crap out of me, you see the result to that and do anything of the sort to me, though it's not recommended for your health... But try and do anything that will either hurt or kill other Darcsens... I will hunt you down and make you suffer."

The boy felt a hand on his shoulder, then heard a familiar voice add "I think he and his goons have got the message, pal... Let him go." quite fondly. Ragna looked to be greeted by the face of his closest friend, Matt, before he smirked, nodded and looked back to Cezary. He let go of his collar, then said "Remember what I said, Regard, and keep your racism to yourself." And he waved Kai toward them. The Ninja boy let his target go, then stood up and started walking toward them with a smile Ragna and Kai high-fived, then nodded to Matt, who smiled and sighed, rubbing his forehead "You guys..."

"That had to be the most interesting and _scary_ thing I've seen to date..." Alicia said from beside Welkin and Alex. Ryuu nodded, then, with a grin on his face, said "Indeed. Well done."

"That was freakin' awesome!" Alex said, an even wider grin than Matt's or Ryuu's. "Ragna and Kai, right?"

"Yeah." Ragna nodded, smiling. "Good to know you guys are all well and alive, Welkin, Matt."

"Beh. A few Imp tanks are nothing to us, pal." Matt said, nonchalantly waving it all off. Kai laughed, then patted his friend on the back and said "Full of energy as usual." And he looked to Mashiro, kept the smile, bowed and said " _Kon'nichiwa_." placing his hands together and bowing. The girl bowed back and answered in the same manner, then said "A true display of the Martial Arts. Thank you for defending me and my friend."

"A pleasure on our side, miss." Ragna nodded to her, then to Ryuu and said "What's your name?"

"Ryuunosuke." The boy answered, extending his hand toward the boys. They shook it, then nodded to him. Alicia stepped up to them, then said "I'm Alicia Melchiott..." And she looked to Ragna, then asked "Just how in the good Lord's name did you close distance so quick when that Cezary guy insulted your looks...? I swear, the racing cars I've seen weren't nearly as fast there." And Ragna smirked, then said "Well, I've got some of the fastest reflexes known to man for one and two, my speed, strength and other parameters, to call them that, seem to differ from the others'. Nobody was able to explain why to me."

"He's swift of feet and sleight of hand." Kai said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Don't go Deus Ex Machina here." Alex said. Matt looked around, then locked glances with Ragna and asked "Hey, buddy, quick change of subject... Where's David and Axel?"

Ragna pointed back at an exit to the outside of the residential and administration building, then said "Axel's out testing the _Dragoon's_ upgrades in the vehicle course. Dave's at the rec room. Last I saw of him, he was eating something, but I think he's still around there."

"Okay then... I'd say we go and check up on Scott first. I'm interested on seeing what he's done with the _Dragoon._ And praying to god he hasn't crashed it yet." Matt responded. Everyone else nodded and Mashiro hummed in agreement.

Alicia raised her hand, then said "Hey... Uh, Ragna, Kai? Mind telling me about yourselves while we head on out to the course?"

"Sure thing, Alicia." Ragna said. "Ask away."

"Just... Who are you guys? Where do you come from?" She asked, completely clueless to the entire subject herself. Ragna nodded, then said "I and Kai come from a village in Kloden, a Darcsen town and we've known each-other since childhood... Our village wasn't as lucky as we were... When we were really young, our home came under attack by an Imperial Darcsen Hunting unit that operated at the borders..."

"The village was burned. Our parents were killed and... Well, me and Ragna were separated for a long time..." Kai sighed, a bit saddened by the fact that he had to relive that memory. Ragna nodded, patted his friend on the shoulder, then looked back to Alicia and continued "Yeah... While I was captured by the Imps, Kai managed to get away. Good lord be praised, good thing he did... When the Imps were still deciding what to do with me, I had a weapon they forgot to take from me... My mother's blade, a broadsword and a family heirloom. She told me never to use it unless I, or my friends, were in grave danger, because it'd unleash an incredible power... Shen I placed my hand on the hilt, I blacked out and, next morning, when I woke up... The Imps were dead. Cut wounds so deep I couldn't even believe. I managed to escape and followed my father's orders, to 'find a house with a Dragon's head'..." His smile returned "As luck would have it, I found one of the Siegfried family homes that fit the bill. From then on, Matt's family took me in, while Kai was also recovered in one of the Siegfried Orphanages and we were both raised and trained by the Siegfried family... Matt's old man put us through some heavy training, but it worked out in the end."

"And that brings us to today." Matt completed Ragna's story. "All of us in the Militia." And he smiled at the two boys. Alicia sighed, rubbing her arm and said "Wow... I'm sorry to hear about your village, Ragna, Kai." And she nodded to them, then smiled "I kind of lost my home too..."

"Bruhl..." Ragna said, crossing his arms. "Don't worry about it, Alicia. We're here with you to take it back. It's also Welkin and Isara's town." And he nodded to the girl, then looked ahead as the testing course came to view. A bunch of dirt ramps and roads on which three vehicles currently resided. On the left, there was an observation tower where five people were currently sitting, binoculars in hand and examining the vehicles on the course. Alicia looked to the course herself, then gasped... A medium tank with a 75mm Cannon and thick, slanted armor at the front, powered through the course at top speed.

 ** _-Play Initial D:Deja Vu!-_**

"Up on the tower, everyone!" A voice yelled, making everyone turn their heads toward them. Isara waved at them, in a Gallian Tanker uniform, with her shoal covering the top half. She waved at them and said "Come on! You have to see this!"

Everyone climbed to the top of the tower and Matt leaned on the railing, with Ragna and Kai beside him. Atop the tower, beside Isara, Simo, Kolkka, Misaki and another girl, this one with a notepad in her hand, glasses on her eyes and a wide smile, watched as the medium tank performed admirably in the course. Two targets came up ahead of it, enemies. The 75mm cannon of the vehicle boomed and the shell went through both of them precisely in the middle, at the weak point, exploding behind them in a crater. The vehicle performed a slow turn across, then serpentines and, finally, it turned for the final, a 180 turn.

"He can't make that! It's a tank!" Alicia contested the situation, fear in her eyes "At the speed it's going, it's gonna turn over and fall on its side!"

Matt laughed, then said "Shows that you don't know what the _Edelweiss_ and, by extension, my tank can do!" And he pointed at it "Watch!" making Alicia tense as she watched the vehicle approach the turn at an angle of attack so weird it made no sense... She gasped as she saw one of its treads block. The vehicle began turning hard and fast as its other track performed its duty, then it immediately skidded across the dirt and mud, raising the locked tread some feet off the ground due to the inertia, nearly going out of bounds and throwing some dirt out toward the fences shielding this place off... And managed the hairpin turn! A perfect drift!

"HOLY SHIT!" MULTI-TRACK DRIFTING! Alex exclaimed, with Mashiro clapping and smiling widely at the vehicle's performance. Ryuu, eyes wide and jaw dropped, mumbled "I want one..." with Isara beside him, smiling as she saw the tank turn the roundabout and prepare to stop in front of them. She lowered the binoculars, then looked to her brother, who was smiling and said "Axel hasn't lost his coordination."

"No..." Welkin answered. Through a light chuckle, he added "I'd say he's improved drastically."

"Sweet Molly! THAT WAS AWESOME!" Misaki exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air, full of joy. Jin clapped along with Mashiro, then said "Truly, a dancing tank, this one!" And he heard Kolkka chuckle. Simo smirked, crossed his arms and looked to Matt, then said "Fancy vehicles, Theimer has built for ya." To which Matt merely gave a thumbs up and said "Deja Vu~."

The vehicle's driver hatch propped open and the boy that was in the tank driver's seat pushed himself out of the vehicle. He had long, blonde hair caught in dreads, red eyes and a lightly tanned skin, as well as a bandana on his head and a pair of racing goggles strapped to his eyes. He smiled to the group on top of the tower, then waved at them and said "Hello there!" His accent thick, that of an Australian, even though he was a Gallian. The blonde boy pushed himself to his feet on top of the tank, extended his arms to the sides and asked "Were you entertained by the performance the crew of the _Dragoon_ put up today?"

Everyone clapped in response, making the Gallian boy with an accent smile even wider. He dropped off the tank, onto the side, then walked toward the stands as the people came down from the tower to greet him. Isara was the first. She brought a hand to her forehead, with a proud smile, then said "Good to see you again, Scott." making the guy smile too. He nodded and said "Likewise, Is. Been too bloody long since I got to compare wits with you in engineering." And he ruffled the girl's hair a bit.

Next, Ragna and Kai came up in front of him, with the former grinning as they slammed hands together and shook the way they usually did. He grinned, then said "Good God, man. How're your brains not splattered against the _Dragoon's_ inside right now? That drift must've given you some Gees to worry about!" to which Scott's own grin widened as he answered "Well, mate, you know me. I'm the Human Crash Test Dummy. Nothin's too much for me!" making both Ragna and Kai laugh. Matt followed through, then shook Axel's hand and said "Ax, you'd better not have thrown up inside my tank."

Axel nodded, then said "Don't promise anything, Matty! Good to see ya made it outta Bruhl alive!" And looked to Welkin, shaking the boy's hand as well "Ah, Nature Boy's alive too!" And he gave a light punch to the shoulder to Welkin and said "You got the group into some deep stuff in Bruhl. Glad to see you're up and around too, man." And Welkin nodded, smiled and added "Glad to see you're not dead yet either, Axel. Had me scared for a moment you might tumble out of the course with the tank." with both respect and smugness mixed in.

"Come on, Welks, whaddaya take me for?" The boy jovially returned.

The boy's jovial demeanor came to an abrupt halt as he looked at the Japanese group, Sakura-Sou, as well as at Alex and two other guests. The two white-haired Hayha brothers stared at the boy, Kolkka with a wide grin and Simo with his arms crossed and a calm smile. Simo tipped his Finnish infantry hat to the boy, then said "Pleasure to meet you, Axel. Heard some interesting stuff about you from Matt, Welkin and Isara. I'm Simo Hayha and the girl beside me is my sister, Kolkka."

"Matt..." Axel said, looking back to his friend "Why'd nobody tell me we had the White Death and Snow Fairy here?"

Ragna and Kai's jaws dropped. The two boys didn't expect it either, so, to make a long story short, Ragna walked up beside Axel and immediately stared at the two snipers with awe. "I'm more concerned on how I didn't notice this up to now... We just walked with them up to you..."

"We're hard to notice." Kolkka smirked, running a hand through her hair. "That's the best part about us. When sniping, it's a great attribute."

"I can tell..." Ragna said. He let out an awkward chuckle, then said "Trying really hard not to fanboy."

"And..." Matt swallowed, then motioned toward Alex and Sakura-sou "You guys?"

"We're actually friends of Alex and Matt from Ran-Uni." Misaki said with a smile, then she gave a thumbs up to him and added "Nice drift by the way!"

"Thanks..." The boy awkwardly let out a chuckle, rubbing the back of his head. Welkin sighed, stepped up ahead of them, then said "I've got an idea, guys. How about we go find Dave, see what he's up to in the Rec Room, before Ragna and Axel break and we're forced to carry them?" And everyone yelled their agreement to the boy. He nodded, then said "Alright... To the Rec Room it is." And they started walking out of the course and down a path. Beside them, a platoon of infantry marched. Actual Regular soldiers, rifles and equipment on their backs, following their officer. Small-talk exchanges continued between the crew as they entered the building and walked down the hallways, which were cramped and tight, forcing them to move in a row as to allow the other people, specifically hurrying officers to get through.

Going through the main door to the Rec Room, a place filled to the brim with soldiers that either came back from missions or were prepping to go for them, they saw that it was pretty big, with a lot of facilities. A bar in the far left corner, with a big black and white TV, two billiards tables and several other four-person tables to sit at, a library in the far back and a line of Darts games with targets and arrows... At one of them, they saw two guys and two girls playing. One of them, with brown eyes and slick, short brown hair, had a pair of sunglasses hanging by his Gallian Militia shirt and below them, a necklace with a silver wolf's head pendant and an Amethyst cut into a round gem just below the head. The boy grinned and said something inaudible from this distance to the other guy, raised his hand and aimed the steel-tipped dart toward the target. He cocked his hand back and threw with all his strength and, before they knew it, the target had hit bullseye. The boy smirked, nodded and yet again said something to the three, then nodded to them and started walking away. He looked toward the door, to sight Matt, Welkin, Ragna, Axel and Kai and, with a wide grin formed on his face, he started walking toward the group.

"So there Taz is." Ragna said with a smirk. He nodded to the man as he arrived, then shook his hand and said "Good to see you, Dave." To which the man nodded, answering with a smile "Likewise, Ragna." And he looked to everyone else "Matt, Welkin, Kai, Axel. Heard you got into some trouble while escorting our pal, Welkin to grab Isara, Matt. What's up with that?"

Matt nodded, extended his hands to the left and right, then shrugged and said "Imps. Always the Imps, man. Let's take a seat at the table and we can tell you more about this."

Dave nodded, then pointed at four gathered tables with about 20 chairs and said "Got a few 'rented' from the bartender. Said it's no problem to take a seat." And he smiled, then continued "I'll serve the drinks. My treat."

* * *

 ** _-Play Youjo Senki Full Opening:Jingo Jungle-_**

 _ **Farther East. Gallian-Imperial Skirmish.**_

Bullets whispered past a Gallian Regular Company as they shot back, retreating to the village across the river Daugava, a stream of water upon which Imperial PT boats had been intercepted as they tried to cross the border and deploy their troops. Trenches had been set up, as well as heavy machine gun emplacements and a couple of AT positions at the river bordering Kloden. The two AT Guns fired once, twice and then reloaded quickly in unison as Imperial T34s attempted to cross the bridgehead. A tank had already been knocked out and the Imperials were holding ground just across the river. A stalemate had happened as the Gallians defended the evacuating civilians with incredible ferocity.

Alas... Not every defense would last when _she_ came...

 _It is said that, during that period of the war, there was this teenage girl... Bright blonde hair, strange, cobalt eyes and porcelain skin... She looked like a beautiful doll, an angel on the battlefield, but was in fact a Devil, incarnated into this world. To lead her own company, she went through many prestigious Imperial schools and stomped Rebellions by herself, before they even came to being, although she was an Orphan. She came to lead the First Rapid Response Experimental Mage Battalion... A Battalion formed of the youngest and brightest, those who showed aptitudes similar to those of 'Die Weiss Hexe', the White Witch of Eylstadt and were as ruthless as Her..._

 _And her name... Was Major Tanya Degurechaff, the 18-year-old Imperial Officer and Mage... White Silver, or The Devil of the Volga._

Explosive shells landed across the Gallian-defended side of the bridge, killing a dozen men in the first barrage and destroying three Type-36c Light Tanks. A loud thrum sounded off from the sky, making the Gallian Soldiers stare up at the sky. A young girl, with long and messy blonde hair and clad in a padded flight suit, with a heavy box that had the Imperial Service Wings on it, against a red background, stared at them, her bright blue eyes seemingly spiraled. She had a strange metallic boot on her right leg, that had an attached wire leading up to the box. She gave the Gallians a wide grin, then tapped her microphone, switching it to an open channel and started talking, her voice smooth, calm, pleasing to the ears...

" _Soldiers of the Principality of Gallia! Regulars of the Army! Cease your pointless battle and surrender to us, the Empire of the East! We wish nothing but to uphold the rights of your country, take it from your corrupt politicians' hands and rebuild it to the greatness it deserves! Drop your weapons, for we show brotherhood to all of you and ask you kindly, In the Name of God!"_

The Gallian Soldiers aimed their rifles toward her, then opened fire. The girl sighed, dodging the shots and boosting herself up and above their Gallian-2s' range. She rubbed her forehead and murmured "There's just no talking to these people..." then looked to her Mage unit. Placing a hand on her communication device, which was behind her thick fur coat's padded collar, she yelled "SOLDIERS OF THE EMPIRE! OUR OBJECTIVE HERE IS SIMPLE! EXTERMINATION! NOT A SINGLE LIVING BEING SHALL BE SPARED! THEY REFUSED OUR OFFERS FOR SURRENDER, WE FOLLOWED THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES AND ASKED THEM FOR IT... NOW ONE THING IS LEFT FOR US TO DO!" And she paused, her grin widening "SEND THEM ALL TO _HELL_!"

The Imperial soldiers and the mages aimed their weapons, as well as the girl. Tanya Degurechaff raised her rifle, an SVT-40, then looked down the iron sights toward the Gallian cross-river defenses, then started her prayer in a quiet whisper " _God... Bestow upon me, thy loyal servant, the power to defeat thy enemies and force them into submission... Use me as thy hand and smite the foes of our Motherland... For 'tis what I, your faithful Daughter, ask of Thee!"_ And her weapon began shining bright golden, energy seething through the cracks of the wood and into the weapon's chamber. The Mage's eyes were locked on target... And she squeezed the trigger. The bullet, an explosively-charged round, left the barrel of the gun and barreled toward the Gallian defenses... With one tap on the ground it touched, between the defenses, a burst of flames engulfed the Gallian MG nests and AT positions before their crew and the stationed soldiers could flee, vaporizing them and sending a cloud of blue-yellowish smoke expanding outward.

Tanya lowered her rifle by her hip, then looked to the right, to a ginger-haired girl with turquoise blue eyes and said "Captain Serebryakov. Take your Broadsword Company and secure the other parts of the village. Wipe out any and all enemy defenses you spot. No prisoners." To which the girl saluted and said "Aye, aye!" Then she boosted away, with some 22 soldiers following her from close behind. Tanya looked to her left afterwards, to a man with a cap covering his had, black eyes and a calm demeanor, then told him "Lieutenant Weiss. You and Claymore Company are engaging enemy armor and retreating vehicles. Leave the Civilians, focus on the Military."

"Understood, ma'am!" The man saluted too, then left. Tanya sighed, then looked at the village and the damage it was sustaining as the Imperial forces marched on through, tanks and infantry alike, as well as the Mages. The relatively young Major Degurechaff, hailing from Volgograd, had been serving the Empire since the odd age of 10, as she had been conscripted at an early age for service as a test subject in the Imperial Mage Department. She had stopped several rebellions alongside other, untrained mages near the Volga, as well as in Tannu Tuva, China and Ukraine, thus earning herself the nicknames 'White Silver' from her soldiers and 'The Devil of the Volga', from the enemy.

The girl ran a hand through her blonde hair, cocked her SVT-40, then looked back at her Company, Dagger Company, and said "We move to eliminate the local Headquarters, ladies and gentlemen!" And she pushed herself ahead, utilizing her magic-based propulsion system and Computation jewel. Bullets rained from the skies onto the village's military-occupied buildings and explosions blossomed across the streets and houses, effectively turning into Rubble...

This was the Devil's work... This was _her hand..._

 _The Devil was in Gallia... And none would be safe from her cleansing flame..._


	5. Vasel pt1:First meeting with the Krauts

_**Road to Vasel.**_

News'd come from the fortress town that contained the only bridge across to the capital, that both Imperial and German forces had made a move. Alas. Imperial forces were bad enough to deal with on this side of the war. Now that the Krauts showed up to the party too, things were going to get a hell of a lot more interesting. Alexander, at least, thought so as he loaded his Romanian Berretta SMG. The Italians, although enemies of theirs, continued supplying them with weapons. The bastards at Berretta wouldn't give up their chance to earn money, even if from their foes.

Alas, the Krauts were a whole other deal. Setting the weapon by his side, the boy could only think of the horrors the bastards committed. He saw something he shouldn't have seen in Germany. Their Death Camps. Specifically, Dachau and Birkenau... The Nazis wanted him dead. Unmasked first of all, then dead. It was one of the reasons he left Romania as he did, with faked ID and such. He'd sent one letter to his Parents about this and they'd agreed not to say anything about him. Just that he was 'away for the time being', if the papers asked. He shouldered the SMG, cocked the feeding bolt back, setting it on safe, with the bullet inside visible, its brass casing shining in the light, then slung the weapon on his back and grabbed his Gallian MG-08, a weapon captured en-masse in the Great War from both Imp and Jerrie alike. He placed the weapon's drum magazine, loaded the belt and set the safety off, then started putting on his armor, a Gallian Armored Suit designed for the Gunner, Fencer and Mauler classes. Reduced mobility, but was durable as hell.

He looked to his left, out of the back of the truck he was in, to see a convoy of a dozen vehicles, half of which were manned by the Gallian Militia Third Regiment, while the other half, by the imperviously idiotic Regular forces. 12 trucks full of people, weapons, ammo and supplies for the war-weary defenders of Vasel, escorted by four Gallian Tanks, two light, the _Dragoon_ and _Edelweiss._

Hopefully those two tanks would prove enough to outmatch the Germans' Tigers, supposedly sent with the Armored Company at Vasel into the heat of battle by the commander of the German Army, and the Imperial IS-2 tanks, named specifically after the Empire's external affairs minister and Chancellor. Reluctant to think that the tanks defeating their two heavy vehicles, but still ready for the worst, the boy brought a couple of old AT Grenades used by the Finnish alongside his usual gear. The classic Molotov Cocktail. Over-encumbered as he was, he still had plenty of mobility for his own sake...

He looked up into the sky... Wondering just how fucking far the Jerries had gone...

He'd have to worry about it later. The boy looked to the inside of the truck. There were about a dozen soldiers of the Seventh Platoon aboard, of all different ages, races and nationalities that lived in Gallia. With her rifle in her hand, Mashiro was, as always, right beside him. The girl looked down the sights of the weapon, cocked the bolt back and looked to the others aboard, of which Simo and Kolkka were there as well, then said "News passed along we may be facing both Imperial and German forces."

"It was the first thing they said in a briefing..." Kolkka smirked, slamming the bolt of the rifle back in. Simo nodded, looked down the sight of his, then said "Just more targets for us." smugly. The group of soldiers from Squad 7 looked between the four, brows raised as they saw all of them, also a bit worried. One of the younger ones they saw before, Noce, was aboard with them. He nodded to Simo and the others, then said "Thanks for pulling us out of Bruhl, ya guys." happily, nodding. Susie, the pacifistic blonde, looked at them and nodded with a smile "Indeed. We're glad we're in the same squad."

"Good to see you guys alive and well too." Kolkka said, nodding to them.

The group immediately noticed a girl sitting in front of Alex, a shocktrooper, carrying a MAGS M1 Submachine Gun in her hand and wearing the classic shocktrooper apparel. Her black hair was short, the bangs in the front reaching chin-length. She had a very scary look on her face and strange eyeliner under both her eyes, which were gray, staring idly at the other vehicles moving in close behind them. Alex gulped, then took the leap of faith and said "Hello..." Breaking the ice. The girl's eyes turned toward him in a flash, making him back off. The girl nodded to him, then answered "Hello." In a gruff voice, making Alex smile. Good. They were making progress...

"You are?" He asked, leaning against the vehicle's wooden bench. The girl nodded and said "I'm Jane Turner. Shock Trooper in the Sevens, just like you." And her eyes narrowed as she leaned in, examining every detail of the boy's face and scratching her chin. "Say... You seem kind of familiar for some reason..."

Shit... Could she know how the prince of Romania looked... He sighed, shook his head, then said "Well... People do tell me I have a common face." And he chuckled weakly, to relieve the mood. The girl gave him one final suspicious look, then nodded and leaned back into her seat. "Guess so." And she heaved up her SMG, cocking back the bolt and feeding a round into the SMG's barrel.

Aboard the _Dragoon,_ sitting out of the Cupola and with binoculars in his hand, Matt scanned the skyline of the city of Vasel. Smoke columns were standing high in the sky, entering the thin cloud layer above Vasel and, from this distance, you could hear the three-way clash between the Nazi German Wehrmacht and the Imperial Army within the town. Gunfire echoed throughout the hills surrounding Vasel. Several explosions ripped through the East Bank of Vasel and Matt zoomed in with his binoculars, to sight three German Tiger tanks, the box-shaped enemy heavy tanks, firing away at an Imperial position.

"All clear so far... Looks like the Krauts and Imps are really going at it though!" Matt said through Radio to Welkin, grinning to his ears of joy. This was a good thing. Let their two enemies tear each other the fuck apart while they swept in and reaped the spoils. While all for honorable fighting, Matt didn't want to go head-to-head with both German tanks and Imperial vehicles alike. He sighed, then he heard a sudden droning noise and he stopped...

Looking above, using his eyes first, he saw that four aircraft were flying just below the cloud layer, their bellies and what lay below the wings, painted light blue... The boy thought he saw their landing gear was still extended, so he double-checked using his binoculars. What greeted him was an incredibly fearsome sight. Reverse gull wings with the landing gear strapped to them, painted light-blue, four small bombs, two on each wing and a bigger one right down the middle, in a cradle, as well as a long cockpit, with a rotating MG turret in the back and the two shining slits that were the ragnite radiators of the aircraft... The four planes were flying in a line and Matt, with fear in his eyes, scoped in the symbol on the leader's wing. A black cross with a white outline...

"Oh shit..." The boy said, lowering his binoculars and fearful. He saw the planes change course, the leading one sweeping its wings up and turning toward them, followed by the other three. The boy swore behind his breath, then grabbed his radio and scrambled to yell "WELKIN! ENEMY _STUKA_ BOMBERS! FOUR OF THEM, INCOMING, ELEVEN O'CLOCK HIGH!"

The warning came just in time, as Gallian Militiamen and soldiers scrambled out of the vehicles, distancing themselves from the convoy. The Gallian medium and heavy tanks immediately pulled off to the side and Matt dived within the turret of the vehicle. Wild guess was that, if the German pilots did see them, enemy tanks were bound to show up soon as well as infantry support. Ragna, David and Kai all lined up, either falling to a crawl or to one knee, raising their weapons to greet the enemy force coming for them. Kai had his own automatic assault rifle, designed and built by himself a while back. Highly-customizable, the weapon he used was also very powerful. Looking down its iron sights, the boy cocked the feeding bolt back and removed the safety.

The first _Stuka_ 's Jericho trumpet let out a shrill scream as it dived toward them. As soon as it came into range, Gallian small-arms fire greeted it in the form of light machine guns, rifles, sniper rifles and even Kai's AR. Alicia's rifle boomed twice, three times and shots impacted the enemy aircraft's fuselage, but did little damage, merely scratching the paint as the highly-accurate bomber let off its four small bombs. Thunder struck a group of Regulars as the explosions sent shrapnel flying toward them and afterward, the Ju-87's MGs flashed, cutting the survivors into ribbons.

A redheaded girl swore behind her breath, then raised her SMG and opened fire as the German leveled off above them, his bomber's siren cutting off as he flew away, preparing to come back for another run... Before the girl could focus on that however, there were three more kraut planes diving toward them. Other Militiamen scrambled, their weapons in hand, and opened fire. A deafening symphony of contradicting orders, assorted swearing and gunfire screamed into everyone's ears as they tried to both remain calm and deal with the enemy bombers.

Kai remained steadfast as he fired bursts from his AR as the bomber dropped its four small bombs. The concentrated, more organized fire this time around drove it off and the bombs flew high, missing the Gallians narrowly and shattering part of the road. Alexander's MG barked once more and bullets struck the hull and fuselage of the German bomber... Part of its wing was blown off and the plane entered a stall spin, before plunging right into the ground beside the Gallian convoy, its shattered remains, aflame, tumbling across the field.

"This is fucking nuts!" Yelled Ragna, scoping in another enemy air unit. He pressed the trigger and the shot nicked part of its engine, setting ablaze and spilling Ragnoline across the path the enemy plane took. It wasn't too long before it became a fireball, its internals and fuselage blasted apart by the sudden explosion of the gas tank. Ragna smirked, setting the bolt of his GSR back into place.

"No shit!" Cried Alexander, raising his MG and firing short bursts. He was focusing on the plane that was coming back around for its second run. Bullets bounced off the fuselage as the bastard in the cockpit looked down the sight of the guns. Alex kept up the fire as the weapon started clicking from overheating, with steam coming off the water jacket. Letting out a heavy battle cry, the boy aimed true and the thirteenth and final shot before the weapon overheated tore through the cockpit's lightly-armored glass pane and sight, striking the man straight through the left eye. The plane peeled left and smacked into the ground with a thundering explosion.

Everyone saw the fourth and final plane stave off its attack run after witnessing his comrades get shot clean out of the air by simple small arms, a feat unbelievable to many, flew off into the distance. Cheers and sighs of relief sounded off from every corner of the Gallian convoy as Alexander set his MG on his shoulder, grinning and watching the enemy plane vanish. Looking to the _Dragoon_ and _Edelweiss,_ he saw both Welkin and Matt hanging out of the Cupolas. Welkin looked back to his friend and told him something, to which Matt nodded and looked back, then yelled "EVERYONE, SECURE THE WOUNDED AND GET BACK ABOARD THE TRUCKS! CAPTAIN AND LT'S ORDERS!"

Without questioning the orders, everyone climbed back aboard the trucks they were on as the medics tended to the wounded and bagged the dead. Within minutes, the Convoy was back on its way down the hills around Vasel. The group passed by a squadron of Regular forces clad in green armors with blue outlines. The soldiers were in trenches and with their rifles by their hips, leaned against the walls. Two soldiers were using binoculars and speaking into radios... Matt signaled a halt, raising his hand, then jumped out of his tank and walked toward the soldiers.

Two of them saluted, while the others, whom were using the binoculars gave nods, focused on their work. The Siegfried boy looked at them, then asked "What're you four doing here? Is this a scouting post?"

"For the Gallian 412th Scout Battalion, yes sir." Nodded the younger one in the tent, a boy in his 19th year of age with bright blue eyes and red hair, cradling a Gallian-2 rifle. The man beside him, the officer nodded. The older man took off his green cap, ran a hand through his greyed out hair, then said "We're scouting out for the liberation force, sergeant Siegfried. I'm Captain Voss, Second Company. Been keeping an eye on the friendly foreign exchange going on in Vasel for two days now."

"So you guys know who I am." Matt smiled, then nodded to them and said respectfully "Do let us know if we've got anything bad. Frequency six for the Militia Third Regiment, Captain." And he saluted them, then stepped off and ran back to his tank. Jumping in, he waved everyone forward. A small distraction as they marched into the only part of Vasel that was still held by the Gallians. The Great Bridge boulevard's western end. A Gallian camp had been set up here where the wounded Regulars had been transported. On the streets were stretchers, with corpses covered by blue blankets, three rows, awaiting to be loaded up in the trucks that the squad just came with.

Disembarking from their vehicles and walking deeper into the very active camp, through the rubble and destroyed buildings and Gallian military tents, the group saw a Gallian Lieutenant ordering the people to their posts. She was clad in a light-blue uniform with the symbol of a Lancer on her shoulder and had bright blonde hair and ultramarine eyes, as well as a scar running across her nose. Her lance was beside her, set down on the box she was standing up on and calling out her orders.

"Hurry up! Another Kraut charge could be coming to shunt our asses out any second! Worse, we could be facing the god damn Imps this time around! Get your asses to the barricades!" The woman barked to her men, wearily picking up her weapon. Feeling a hand placed on her shoulder, the woman gasped, then looked back and revealed her relatively young-looking face to Captain Varrot. She was clearly in her early 20s, maybe even younger. Staring at the captain, the woman sighed in relief, then smiled, promptly saluted her superior and said "Captain Varrot, ma'am. Just in bloody time."

"What's your status, Lieutenant Lenz? Your men okay?" Varrot asked calmly. The girl sighed deeply, then answered "Things are going to hell... The men you probably saw on your way in were some of our officers, including Major Grazer, the man who commanded the camp here. and the 412th in itself.. I'm the last with a high enough rank to hold this unit together and worst of all, there's a German attack heading our way. We're down to fourteen unharmed men, twenty wounded of which three so severely they can barely walk, much less hold a gun."

Varrot nodded and said "Good thing we've arrived, then." then she looked back and yelled "All commanders and NCOs of Regiment 3, line up and head for the CP! Get your squads in position and prep to engage a possible German offensive on the camp!"

"Yes ma'am!" Cried the lieutenants and sergeants of the third regiment. All of them moved toward their men and within seconds, Lieutenant Lenz saw the Militiamen move toward the barricades, some carrying MG-08/18s, others just their standard gear and setting up beside her few remaining soldiers. The medics of each squad moved to help tend with the wounded, of which four twins.

Looking across the scarred road ahead, Ragna placed his sniper on the sandbag wall, then saw several soldiers from other squads joining in. Cocking back the bolt of her rifle and inserting three fresh rounds into the chamber, a young woman sat down some five feet from him. She had chin-length raven hair, which covered her left eye and nearly all of the left side of her face, as well as jet-black irises. The young man watched her focused on reloading and maintaining her rifle, wondering continuously if he knew her. She gave off a familiar vibe... Standing up on his feet, rifle slung over his shoulder, the half-breed boy walked toward the girl, stopped beside her, then asked wearily "Are you Marina Wulfstan?"

"Who asks?" The girl responded monotonously, picking up her rifle and looking down the scope, toward one of the craters left by German artillery. Ragna inhaled, nodded, then said "I'm Ragna. I believe our families have a history." and he warmly smiled.

"Oh?" The girl cocked her right brow up in surprise, looking at the boy. "How so?"

"Well... If your father told you about his time in World War 1 as a sniper, he saved my old man, a Darcsen by the name of Nicolas. Does it ring a bell?" The boy spoke calmly, to which Marina's eyes widened. She slowly stood up and responded "So you're Nicolas' son? Yes, my father did tell me about their adventures during the war... And their friendship." then she extended her hand in a friendly manner and replied "A pleasure to finally meet you, Ragna."

The boy smirked, then gripped her hand and said "Likewise. Hope we'll work well together."

Marina nodded, then sat down, setting her rifle aside and showed Ragna to do the same. He nodded, then took a seat, setting his rifle aside and looking ahead. He heard Marina get back to work on her rifle, then asked "You do tend to that weapon a lot, don't you?" and he received a nod from the girl, who said "To live in a warzone or on the hunting grounds, you need a good weapon. Treat it well and it will treat you well. A lesson my father taught me during our hunting trips."

"Did you use GSRs during your hunts too?" Ragna asked mockingly. Marina brushed that off and said "No. But the design of the Gallian line of hunting rifles and GSRs is fairly similar, aside from having only one round in the magazine for the former, the one in the chamber." And she slammed the bolt of the weapon back in, feeding the round into the chamber. She looked to Ragna, then noticed the ornate sword on his back and pointed at it "That is?"

Ragna moved his hand behind his back and felt the longsword's sheath. He smiled, nodded and said "Family heirloom. It used to be my mom's blade. Before that her mom's... So on and so forth." And he looked to Marina "It's one of the only things I have left from her. That and the red eye and silver hair."

"I'm sorry to hear that..." Marina said, clearly realizing what Ragna meant by that. "They lost their lives during the border skirmishes, right? When Imperials frequently raided our border towns? From what I got, your family was in the Kloden forests, where Darcsen Hunters operated most..."

"Yes." Ragna sighed, leaning back and onto his arms, his eyes affixed on the cloudy, black sky upon which columns of murky smoke and black cinders climbed. He bowed his head and continued "It's also one of the reasons I'm with the militia, to stop other kids from losing their parents like that. The other, well..." He looked to Marina "Because Matt is here too. The Siegfrieds took me in when I had nobody. They raised me, trained me and I got some new friends out of the deal. Maybe even people I could call my second family."

"Interesting. The Siegfried family always prove to have the best interests of this country in mind, do they not? Even for the normal man and Darcsen alike." Marina bluntly stated. Ragna nodded, then said "They always have. Too bad our actual leaders aren't this good." And sighed. "In the next elections for Parliament, the ones after the war... I'm expecting the Siegfried's party, the GRRP(Gallian Royal Reforms Party) to win..." he smirked "Can't wait to see how they change the country for the better."

Marina bluntly said "Shall we wait until we actually get to that point before celebrating, Ragna? We still have a war to win."

Ragna sighed, then said "Let me fantasize, why don't you?"

* * *

 _ **Gallian CP Tent.**_

Looking over the maps of Vasel, with photos that the Gallian Royal Air Force's Scouts had managed to take of enemy positions, the squad leaders of the Third Regiment, Lieutenant Lenz and Captain Varrot were already preparing a plan of attack to drive the Germans out of the west bank's territory. Looking around the full tent, Varrot, clad in her officer's uniform and trench coat, looked around the 'room'. Her eyes locked on Welkin, Matt and Alicia, of which the former two were discussing a plan of action to propose to the captain, with a photo-map of the West Bank's defenses in hand.

"So this is who is chosen to defend Gallia..." the LT. mused from beside the Captain. "There's a lot of young officers here, ma'am... Including me. Think we can retake Vasel, ma'am?" She then asked wearily, leaning herself on her Lancaar M1.

"I don't doubt it, Krista." Varrot smiled warmly at the girl. She looked back toward the table with her usual stern look. A bit of friendliness went a long way to keeping up morale. A thing needed right now. If an officer's morale fell, it had an effect on all soldiers of a squad and that could not happen here. They needed everyone on their feet and thinking straight. Especially since they were facing two foes at once here. Both sides, very powerful. Looking at everyone, she asked "So, has anyone gotten an idea to solve our German crisis?"

For a few moments, there was silence as everyone looked to each-other. Varrot felt tense as she watched them talk, then she felt a light relief as she saw Welkin nodd and step up. "We do, captain. It's a risky idea, but it might just work." and he looked to Matt and Alicia step up beside him, weapons slung on their backs and stern looks on their faces. They looked confident enough.

"I'll take anything I can get, Lieutenant. If it means dealing with at least one of our two enemies..." Varrot responded swiftly and with calm, nodding to him. "Let's hear your idea."

Welkin set down the map they were looking at, which showed German defenses on the west side of the river. Specifically, the German forces set up at town hall, right next to the western bridgehead. Two cannons flanked the bridgehead, the famous PaK40 Anti-Tank guns, their long barrels extending outward and the crew manning them in the top-down photo. There were several MG42 nests set up along the left and right, or north and south, of the bridge, facing it. Two more were set up beside the town hall, facing diagonally, north-east and south-east, with interlocking arcs of fire, as well as several German artillery pieces. 100mm Cannons that were lobbing shells at the Imperial side, with ammo crates beside them.

In front of the town hall there was a staff car and two Panzer 38(t)s, guarding both avenues of approach. Welkin pointed at the right edge of the photo, at the riverbank and behind it, where a set of hedgerows hid a way through into the enemy defenses. The green area and paved road also had a ramp that lead up, big enough for the squad's heavy tank to fit through and on the left, there was an open plaza with a road that could also fit the medium tank. Welkin began explaining "As you see, the German defenses on this side of the river are heavy. We counted some dozens of soldiers, AT guns and two light tanks."

"But we also spotted two possible avenues of approach. The library's plaza here..." Matt pointed to the left plaza and road "Through which the _Dragoon_ can fit with a platoon of soldiers from the Sevens hiding behind it. I already have some ideas as to who to take with me through the breach. My tank can deal with the 38(t) defending the library while the Germans are throwing punches with the Imps."

"While I, Wel-" Alicia cut off "The Lieutenant, _Edelweiss_ and a second platoon of five troopers can go through the hedges, then clear us a path through the German defenses at the riverbank. A two-pronged attack." The girl then smiled, nodding to Welkin and Matt, who nodded back. Silence had been instilled in the room as Varrot ran over the plan in her mind once again. She rubbed her chin, then crossed her arms and nodded "Seems feasible, Lieutenant, Sergeants. What will the rest of Regiment 3 do while we're at it?"

"If it isn't too much to ask, maybe you can act as a distraction, ma'am? Keep the Germans busy on one side while we flank and take them out from the other?" Welkin asked wearily, to which Varrot examined the Germans' backside defenses. Not as heavy, but still dangerous enough to cause some serious damage to her current platoons. There was also a Tiger H1 positioned looking straight down the boulevard's middle, it's 88mm Cannon aimed and ready to fire. Beside it, two more MG nests.

"If we hold in cover and peek out only when we know it's safe, to pin them down, it might work..." Varrot sighed "Though I dislike the losses we might take."

"We can find another plan if this one doesn't seem fitting, Ma'am." Matthew said, looking at Varrot. The woman crunched the numbers once more in her head, then sighed and said "No. No time for that... Perhaps we might be lucky and the Tiger will try to attack us here, giving us a position to knock it out of the fight. That'll increase our chances and I'm guessing the Germans may try it, knowing their zealousness with their armored companies." And she looked to Welkin and the others "The plan is good... Now, let's make sure we can put it into practice."

A Gallian Sergeant walked up beside Lenz and Varrot. The girl was tanned and had her brown hair caught in a ponytail behind her head. She seemed to be scowling throughout her stride there. Leaning in, she whispered something to Krista, which made her eyes widen in shock. Looking to the girl, she nodded and whispered "Thanks, Ymir." Then she glanced at Varrot and said "German forces heading this way... Squad-sized unit with the Tiger in support... Just like you predicted, ma'am."

The captain nodded, then looked ahead and said "It seems like our first mission will be a tough one. I was correct in my assumption they'd send the Tiger to deal with us..." with a heavy, stern attitude. Arranging her glasses on her nose, the woman said "Regiment 3. Prepare for battle. The enemy will be here within 5 minutes... Let's make sure we greet them properly by the time they arrive. To your squads! Dismissed!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Cried the whole ensemble of officers. A symphony of heels clicking and salutes sounded off, before everyone scrambled for their respective teams. Grabbing her weapon off her shoulder, Alicia ran beside Welkin and Matt and said "I'll join the others at the front barricade! Get the tanks up here!" And the two boys nodded. The trio split off to their positions and Alicia dived into cover behind a sandbag wall, followed by Mashiro, Alex, Kolkka and Simo, as well as their two other comrades. The one who led the Shock Troopers, Corporal Brigitte Stark, said Rosie among friends and Sergeant Largo Potter, the de-facto commander of the Lancers, both followed by their respective units.

Cocking her SMG and diving beside Alicia, Rosie nodded and said "So, first taste of combat and it's against the Krauts." with a smirk. "How're ya feeling, Sarge?"

"This ain't actually my first taste, honestly..." Alicia responded, looking at the road ahead. "I've fought the Imps when they took Bruhl over." And she set her rifle onto the sandbags wearily, cocking the bolt back as to feed a round into the chamber. The redhead stared at her with a bit of awe as she arranged one of her buns. She set the weapon down and looked to the girl with awe, seeing her now-focused glare, her hands steady on her rifle and the girl herself, motionless.

"Really? Huh, alright then." Rosie responded, a bit surprised. She looked to her right, then said to Largo "Was wrong about this one. She was apparently in one of the villages that got taken by the Imps."

"Sounds rough..." Largo said, shouldering his lance and balancing the front on the sandbag wall. The man, a WW1 veteran, had brown hair and eyes, as well as strange, spiky favorites that didn't link. Quiet instilled after their quick exchange of words as everyone set up at the barricades. The group could hear the rumble of engines. Many felt pits in their stomach as they also saw and shook with the earth. The creaking of tracks against concrete became louder, until the group could see the tank. First, the massive gun and the mantlet, painted grey, appeared... Then the tank's rounded turret, with secondary armor and the Wehrmacht cross painted onto its sides and finally, the full body of the tank, a box-like body with a viewport on the left(Or the Gallians' right) and an MG on the opposite side.

Following it were soldiers clad in uniforms that were a darker shade of grey, armor over their shoulders and legs, black combat boots and with black stahlhelms, the German Steel Helmets, with the division crests on both sides of the head. It was a 40-man unit, with the leading five soldiers carrying STG-44 assault rifles, while the others carried a mix-and-match German arsenal, ranging from the basic Kar-98 infantry rifle to the MP40 SMG and to the MG42s and scoped Kar rifles.

"Holy shit..." Alex murmured, looking down the sights of his MG as he'd set it up on the sandbag wall. "That's a big fucking tank..."

"And it's got a big gun to boot..." Mashiro responded briefly, looking down the sights of her rifle.

Hearing their own tanks come up from behind them, Alex grinned, then said "But our odds just evened out, Shiina." And he watched the tanks take position. The first German gun to fire was the Tiger's. The 88mm cannon's boom shook the very earth as its muzzle exploded into a blue flame. The shot hurtled at high speed toward the _Dragoon_ , which Axel barely managed to pull into a tight dodge. The shell struck one of the Gallian light tanks behind them, shattering the vehicle from the inside out and sending burning debris flying into the sky.

"OPEN FIRE!" Cried Lenz from beside the battalion. A symphony of gunfire rattled as the German forces scrambled for cover. Some ducked within the holes in the road, left by the Gallians' field of fire, while others advanced behind the Tiger, some times peeking out and firing a shot back at the Gallians. The German tank's coaxial Machine Guns fired on at the Gallians in the meanwhile, forcing several to take cover behind the sandbags. Two shots struck a Gallian Militia private in the chest, sending him tumbling with blood staining his uniform. He was breathing raggedly as the shots hit the lungs. Looking back, Ragna gasped, then moved beside the boy, knelt and yelled "MEDIC! WE NEED A MEDIC OVER HERE!" waving his hand toward the med-tent. One of the four twins, Fina, to be exact, saw him waving, then picked up her portable aid station and yelled back "I'm coming! Please, hold on!"

The blonde-haired girl dashed from the tent, ducking and weaving through gunfire to get to the wounded soldier. Finally arriving on destination, she looked at the boy's wounds and started setting up her medical supplies. Looking up to Ragna, she nodded, then said "I've got this! You keep fighting!" And the boy nodded, picking up his sniper again and joining in beside Marina. He scoped in a German soldier trying to rush in with his MP40, then pressed the trigger, making his helmet fly clean off his head as he fell dead onto the burned paved road.

The Tiger's turret rotated toward a Gallian MG nest that was keeping some of their troops pinned, utilizing a Hotchkiss M1914 machinegun model made within Gallia. The HMG kept up a constant stream of fire, despite its barrel turning a burning crimson as the soldiers continued their fire. The German tank's turret traversed, its gun depressed and its engine stopped purring as it halted its position. With a click and a loud thunder, the cannon fired an HE round, right into the Gallian position. Fire swallowed the Gallian MG nest, sending body parts and boiling sand up into the sky as its frontal coax MG kept firing.

Aboard the _Dragoon_ , Matt attempted to align the cannon's scope with its target. The 7 triangles, 3 small on the left, 3 more on the right and the big one in the middle, aligned with the numbers on the scope as the boy made calculations, aiming for the tank's open cheek. Pressing the trigger, he heard the thunder and the shell dropping to the floor beside him, then saw the burning AP round smack straight into the Panzer's thick gun mantle and glance off. The tank shrugged it off like it was nothing(Even though it still had a dent in its turret's mantle) before turning its cannon to face the tank that shot at it.

"Oh, for..." Matt wanted to swear, but he looked to Axel and yelled "GET DODGING, SCOTT! WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MOVE FAST!" And his friend nodded, pushing the vehicle's engine to max. The tank shuddered as the 8.8 cm cannon's round passed just by them. The two exhaled in relief, then Matt took his com and ordered "Kai, could you get out and flank the Krauts stealthily, then for the sake of all that's saint, KILL SOME OF THEM!?"

" _On it."_ Came Kai's swift response.

Outside, the boy drew his custom-made Assault Rifle and started rushing past some of the buildings. He grabbed onto a drainage pipe and started climbing. Finding himself on the rooftop, the boy continued moving all the way to the other side. Cocking his assault rifle and attaching a scope to it, the boy locked onto the first German, one trying to set up an MG42. Pressing the trigger, the bullet snapped the man's head back, splattering blood, bone and brain matter onto the paved road. Seeing this, one of his comrades went to check it out. Lucky. The gunfire going back and forth muffled the Darcsen Ninja's shot. Made him laugh at least. The soldier looked confused as he scanned about, cradling his Kar98k. Looking up now, he noticed Kai, but too late. The boy sent the second shot right between the soldier's eyes. Two dead.

Kai looked over the edge at the alleyway below, lowering his rifle, to see three Shock Troopers, all carrying their MP40s close and another soldier, this one with an officers cap and coat and a Luger pistol drawn. The group was moving through, probably trying to gain a flank on the Gallians. Not a smart move. Dropping a frag grenade ahead of them, without its pin, the boy watched as the Germans looked at it, surprised. The four dodged as the detonation ensued and, confused as they were, Kai knocked them out. He shot the Officer through the head, killed two of the shock troopers with his rifle and sent a knife flying into the last one's leg, pinning him to the floor. The boy looked at the Kraut scream for help, dropping beside him and putting his Ninjato to the Kraut's throat and whispering "Shh, shh. Be quiet."

Kai saw the markings on the man's uniform collar. Those of an _Oberfeldwebel,_ a Master Sergeant. The boy smirked, knocked out the German with a quick jab to his shoulder, then pulled the knife out of his leg and picked him up. He returned to the Gallian lines and dropped the Kraut off at the medical tent, then said "Keep him. He's a German Non-Commissioned Officer. Perhaps he can provide us information on the reinforcements the Germans may have in extra."

"Okay." Fina nodded, looking at the German. "Did they have an officer with them?"

"Uh... Damn it, I made a mistake." The boy sighed, looking at the German soldier. He sighed, then drew his AR and said "I'll try to get another officer if possible." And before he could continue, both of them felt the need to duck as they heard another detonation outside. Kai looked to see the _Edelweiss_ and _Dragoon_ attempting to return fire, to no avail. The ninja boy sighed and drew what looked like an AT lance off his back. The shorter weapon was painted white, with two blue dragons drawn in a spiral around its handguard, stopping with their mouths open just before the tip of the lance, on which was a strangely-shaped warhead. This weapon was the _Fire Dragon_ , Kai's own self-designed and made AT lance, which was able to pierce 200mm of armor at close range... Hopefully just enough to KO the Tiger.

He looked to the doctor, then sternly said "Stay hidden. I'll try and deal with the Tiger tank while it's distracted." and he saw the doctor nod. The boy rushed out of the tent and through some alleyways as to flank the German heavy tank. Keeping his lance close and his modified M1911 pistol drawn, the boy ran down the same path the Germans whom he just took out had tried to move through. He turned the corner, raised his pistol and shot twice, killing two more soldiers, one with a sniper as he tried to climb up to the rooftop. He set he pistol back into its holster, then hugged the wall as he approached the German tank from behind.

Another detonation echoed, making the ground shake around the boy. He prayed that nobody had been hit and that the German gunner's aim was off. He knelt as he approached the corner, keeping his lance close, then peeked out, to see the tank's radiator, between the exhaust pipes. A small slither of shimmering cobalt with electricity arching off of it. Beside it were German soldiers who kept up the pressure, including the ones with the _Sturmgewehrs._

 _"Los! Los!_ _Wir haben bestellt, die Gallians zurück Jetzt zu drücken!_ " Cried their officer, a man clad in stronger armor than the ones around him, with a steel helmet that was painted completely black and had an iron cross mark on its side. The man peeked out and fired with his STG, a short burst of three rounds. It hit true, striking one of Lenz's soldiers. The man fell from the barricade, with blood staining the sandbag he was behind as another soldier, this one from Squad 1, rushed to take his position. Kai watched as two Germans split off to the side, trying to attack the position before the Squad 1 soldier could set up, but bullets to their heads stopped them.

Examining the trajectory the shot came from, Kai saw Ragna and another girl, their rifles' barrels smoking after having taken the shots. The two nodded to each other and looked back down their scopes, a thing at which Kai felt a smile sneak up on his face. Drawing his lance, he moved behind the tank, in the middle of the road, flicked the safety off the AT weapon and knelt, aiming down the sights.

He heard a German shout a battle cry behind him, raising his rifle, with the bayonet attached, to strike him down. Before the boy could turn and knock him down, a sniper shot echoed, hitting the man and sending him back with a snap. Looking ahead, Kai saw Simo looking down the sights of his rifle with a smug grin, before setting the bolt of the rifle back into place. He nodded to Kai, then aimed again and fired at another kraut trying to rush in from behind. Good thing the snipers of the squad had Kai's back covered. Raising his lance, the boy scoped in the radiator one final time, then grinned and dropped his one-liner " _Gotcha by the tail, eh?"_ with a smug grin.

Releasing the latch, the warhead launched from the lance with a puff of thick smoke and the sound of several smaller engines activating. The rocket-propelled warhead lanced through the air, leaving a contrail. Smacking into the tank's rear, the shell squashed and the HE part of the HEAT rocket burst through the tank's radiator and into its engine, setting it ablaze and leaving a nifty hole in the back of the tank. The flames let out by the engines were a dark-red hue, with blue mixed in. Kai could feel the scent of burning Ragnoline and oil as another column of smoke ascended to the sky.

The group watched as German tank crew members, clad in their black panzer uniforms, jumped out of the vehicle through all hatches. Beside Kai, the German Stosstruppen officer tried to run, before receiving a summary kick to the jaw that knocked him out. The boy proceeded to sling his lance back over his shoulder and draw his Assault Rifle, then snap the gun toward the few retreating soldiers... And sigh, lowering it as he stood up. Grabbing the German officer by the collar and dragging him back, he walked over to the Gallian lines and said "I have us another officer to interrogate." with a proud grin. Ragna sighed and nodded to him, then said "Thank God you're hauling that lance around, pal."

"True. Saved us a lot of trouble there." Smirked Wolfe, walking up to them. "Nice shooting."

Kai nodded to his friends, then jumped over the barricade and threw the German on the floor, cuffing him. He then saw Welkin, Isara, Matt and Axel getting out of the tanks after having parked them, with Isara stopping to tend to the _Edelweiss'_ maintenance for a bit. Meanwhile, Matt, Welkin and Axel stopped in front of the boy. "So. First of all, thanks for dealing with the Tiger." Said Matt with a nod to his friend. "I hit its gun mantle at a 45 degree angle and my shell bounced, so you kind of saved our bacon there."

"And I just couldn't get a shot on it." Welkin sighed. "It fired twice for us and kept us pinned."

"Probably saw your tank as the bigger threat." Kai mused, crossing his arms. He looked to his prisoner struggling and squirming to get out of his cuffs, then said "Let's get this guy to Captain Varrot for interrogation."

"And then we can brief you guys on the plan we've got. Since the Tiger's out of action, things should be way easier now." Matt smirked, nodding to them. The group walked through toward the Command tent, leaving everyone else to set up and prepare for the next phase of the Operation. The Germans had made a stupendously bad mistake, sending the Tiger instead of keeping it there to hold the line. It was gonna cost them a lot of ground.


End file.
